72 Garden Lane--The Wright Residence

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Cassiechan? Wan me sayed herle? Orl... go wit you?"

He saw Cassiechan blush, and he waited for an answer. He hoped she'd say he could go with her, and that she didn't think it was strange. He just wanted to keep her safe... "Um... I..." she began, yawning. Kagayaki smiled. She was so adorable when she yawned. He made a mental note of that. She finally smiled back at him, lifting a weight off of his shoulders. "I don't see why you couldn't go with me." Kagayaki nodded, bowing slightly, but thankfully.

Oh, that would make him feel so much better...

Her hand made contact with his, sending sensations up his entire arm. Kagayaki followed in complete silence behind Cassiechan, pulled at her whim as she flicked off the lights and took him up the stairs.

Something seemed very strange about this to him... No, it wasn't like that. He wasn't that kind of guy.

Kagayaki blinked away such thoughts. What was coming over him? He hadn't felt like this in a long time... This feeling of not being able to control his thought was a burden to him. But he couldn't let Cassiechan know something was wrong.

How would he explain something like that?

Cassiechan paused in front of a door. Kagayaki waited. "Just a second..." she whispered, and he nodded, a smile twitching at the edge of his lips. Cassiechan peeked in for a moment then shut the door, and they continued down the hallway. They went into another room, and Kagayaki watched as Cassiechan pulled out a big purple chair that made him smile at the sight of.

"Sorry I don't have anything more comfortable...but I've fallen asleep in that before, it is pretty comfy."

She handed him a blanket and he felt himself start to lean towards her.

'No. No more kisses tonight. What's wrong with me? I have to calm down or I'll scare her away, just like Sumire and Yumi...'

"Okay is, yah." he whispered, slowly sitting down in the chair. It was pretty comfortable, but it wasn't as nice as watching Cassiechan yawn again, taking a seat on her bed and smiling at him with a very tired smile.

'KAWAII!'

"Thank you." she said, quietly. He smiled, once again suppressing the urge to kiss her. This was going to drive him crazy, wasn't it?

"Wedcom." he replied, placing the blanket across his lap. A sleepy smile came across his own face as he watched her. "Sreep good, ne."

'Sleep safely, Cassie. I'll protect you and I won't leave until I'm sure you're fast asleep.'

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

Kagayaki leaned in closer to her as she handed him a spare blanket, and for half a second Cassie lowered her eyelids, closing her eyes in anticipation of another kiss. Something stopped him, though, and Cassie gave a little sigh. What's going on here? Before tonight I never would have even thought of Kagayaki this way--never even would have thought of thinking of him this way, even--but now...now he's all I can think of. I just don't understand anymore...am I doing this because I'm tired and don't know any better? Because I'm lonely and desperate? Or because he makes me feel safe and beautiful and appreciated and...I don't even know what...because he's brought me back from wherever place I went after Halloween?

I really, really hope it's the last one.

"Okay is, yah," he assured her softly. Cassie nodded, embarrassed that the best she had to offer for him to sleep on was an office chair. "Good," she replied with a yawn and a smile as she sat down, her muscles rejoicing to return to the haven of her bed and the possibility of sleep.

"Thank you," she whispered to him, but those two little words seemed insufficient to express her gratitude. Could she really put into words how she felt about about all he had given her tonight, how he had saved her in every possible way? She didn't think so. But maybe...didn't Shelby teach me once how to say thank you in Japanese? How did that go again? Ar....something....what was it again?

She still didn't think it would be enough, but maybe thanking him in his native tongue would make it mean that much more.

If only she could remember it.

Aww, come on, are you serious? It's way to easy...just one word, right? One word that starts with 'Ar'. How is it that I don't remember something so ridiculously simple? God, this is why I dropped Spanish all those years ago...I'm useless with languages! Come on, Cassie, don't screw this up...remember it!

"Wedcom," Kagayaki said, smiling at her and cutting through her frantic thoughts. "Sreep good, ne?"

Cassie nodded just as the word she had been searching for floated back into her memory. "I will. "Ar...Arigato." There. She was sure she had murdered the pronunciation, but she had said it.

Cassie wanted so badly to sleep, but she found herself standing up from her comfortable perch on the bed, walking over to where Aidousan sat, and putting her arms around his neck, allowing herself just one more kiss. "Goodnight," she whispered, their faces just inches apart.

She gave him one last smile before going back to her bed, throwing back the covers and burying herself beneath them. She was probably asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

Cassie's sleeping. Shhhhhh.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Wedcom." he told her, smiling gently. "Sreep good, ne?"

Cassiechan nodded a bit. "I will. Ar...Arigato."

Kagayaki's face lit up and he found himself unable to stop smiling. 'KAWAII! KAWAII DESU NE, KAWAII DESU NE!' he kept crying in his mind. 'THAT'S SO CUTE, THAT'S SO CUTE!'

"Doumo." he whispered as she laid back down. He'd just started to close his eyes when he heard a sound. Kagayaki jumped a bit, and his eyes shot open, but he saw it was just Cassiechan getting up. "What--" Her arms wrapped around his neck, and all sound - and air - was cut off on his part as she kissed him.

"Goodnight."

He was completely breathless and speechless as she sent him a smile before slipping back into bed. With a blissful smile of his own, he relaxed into the chair, more at ease than he had been in a very long time. This was it, wasn't it? This was that feeling everyone talked about.

'Cassiechan... I care about you more than I can tell you in your language. I really do. And I'll do everything I can to make this time different from every other time I've tried to love someone.'

Closing his eyes slowly, he felt sleep coming. 'This time... this time I won't hurt the girl I love. This one will be the last.'

'This time, I won't screw up. I won't let myself give up. I couldn't live with myself if I did.'

Kagayaki is sleeping too now.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~

OOC: A new interaction, some days/weeks later... BIC:

Kagayaki shifted the bag in his lap, his heart pounding as he looked up and saw the familiar neighborhood as the taxi drove by the houses he'd forced himself to remember.

Because they were close to Cassiechan's house.

He subconsciously reached into his bag, shuffling through the pills and the clothes, to find the movie. The movie he'd picked out for Cassiechan. Oh, he hoped he'd picked one she'd like! He'd asked, and asked, and looked and looked. 27 Dresses was the best he could find. So, not knowing whether or not he should, he bought the movie and took it with him to Yukitokun's.

It had taken him quite a while to ask her to watch it with him, but he'd finally done it – asking over the internet was pretty good for him, considering how recently he'd shown her that he had feelings for her – and now he was coming over.

But that wasn't why. He was going to make cookies with her. Peanut Butter cookies, Sugar cookies, and Chocolate Chip cookies. They were going to make all sorts of cookies. Any sort of cookies Cassiechan felt like making.

Because, for some reason, Shebychan hadn't wanted the cookies Cassiechan had made for her.

And he knew it would probably come back on him later to have sugar around someone he was trying to impress, but it would be worth it, right? He wanted to make her feel better, and he wanted to be close to her. He wanted to be next to her, watch her smile and laugh. He wanted to kiss her. And, most of all, he wanted her to be happy again.

That was why he was here right now.

The car came to a stop, and Kagayaki carefully gave the driver the money necessary, thanking the man for helping him get where he needed to go – a custom he'd gotten from his mother. He shifted the bag again, this time on his shoulder, as he looked up at the big house and the huge lawn. Kagayaki took a deep breath, slowly let it out, and went up the door. Knocking on the door, he couldn't suppress the wild beatings of his heart.

He didn't understand why he was going so crazy all of a sudden, but, for some reason... he liked the feeling, and never wanted it to go away.

Because it was a feeling he only got when he was around Cassiechan.

It was the 'Cassie' feeling.

And that made it wonderful above all else.

[The Phantom of Paris]

OOC: So, I couldn't resist, and Cassie has Ramune that she stole from Shelby. The bottles look like this and are as impossible to open as Cassie finds them...but they're adorable and they taste really good...but maybe not the octopus flavor. If you need a full description of how to get them open, for references, just ask...it's really quite crazy.

BIC:

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

Cassie stared at the glass bottle of soda in her hand, a bewildered expression on her face as she tried to figure out how to open it. The two smiling mangoes on the bottle, on either side of something in Japanese Cassie couldn't even try to read, let alone pronounce if she could, looked at her cutely, as if letting her know that she would be able to open the bottle if she tried hard enough. She sighed. Yes, they're adorable. But why are they so freaking complicated?! She looked from the top of the bottle and it's weird circular marble-y thing at the top to the tiny piece of green plastic that she was expected to use to open the thing. She sighed in frustration and set them down. I'm sure Aidousan will be able to open them. He'll probably laugh at me for not being able to figure it out...hey, it's not my fault they like things to be super complicated over there! Cassie racked her brain trying to figure out what Shelby had once told her about that soda, before she had gone selectively mute..."It's called 'Ramune' soda, because that's how the word 'lemonade' sounds with their accent and lemonade was the original flavor. Aren't they cute? Strawberry's my favorite, but they come in all sorts of flavors, even stuff like curry and octopus! Can you imagine? Octopus flavored soda?!"

Immediately after closing the IM window, Cassie had gone to the kitchen and raided the fridge and pantry, stealing stuff from Shelby's stash of Japanese foods. She felt sort of bad about it, but after the recent cookie incident, Shelby was not on her good list at the moment. I'll go out and buy her more stuff before she even notices it's gone...I just...I think it would be nice for him to have stuff actually from Japan. Plus, I really want to try some of this stuff... In addition to about six bottles of Ramune (one of mango-flavored soda, two of strawberry, one pineapple, and two original--no octopus, Cassie was thankful to find), she had found several boxes of Pocky (in both chocolate and strawberry varieties), some sort of candy involving pandas, and something that reminded Cassie of a cross between Jolly Ranchers and bubble gum. She had also changed her clothes,, opting for things that probably weren't the most practical for cooking but suited her purposes quite nicely. She wanted to look good, after all, even if she still felt upset at the behavior of her dad and her sister--and besides, the world had invented aprons for a reason, hadn't they?

She crossed her arms and surveyed the kitchen, wondering if she should get out any of the cooking supplies before Kagayaki got there. She grabbed a stick of strawberry Pocky from an open box and munched on it as she walked over to the pantry, getting several bags of chocolate chips, the vanilla extract, and some sprinkles and setting them on the counter. Mmmm, this is great...they're really on to something over there... Cassie also grabbed some other stuff she felt they'd need--a couple of aprons, some oven mitts, mixing bowls and wooden spoons, and measuring cups.

Kind of a weird situation, isn't it? I feel sort of like Martha Stewart or what's-her-name...Rachel something, setting up a cookie date with my...I don't even know what he is! Almost-boyfriend? Maybe? I don't even know anymore...

She had just begun to preheat the oven when there was a knock at the door. She grinned and let the blue plastic bowl she had been holding fall to the floor with a clatter before racing out of the kitchen and through the dining room and formal parlor, coming to a sliding stop in the entrance hall. She almost lost her balance and had to grab onto a table to catch herself, grinning. Hmmm...Halina must have waxed the floors or something today... Laughing, she flung open the door. "Hi!" she said happily, kissing him. "Come on in!"

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

Nervousness was racking his brain. It felt like forever he waited in front of that door. It was like the wood was laughing at him, telling him he couldn't get in. 'No. Cassiechan will let me in. Cassiechan wants me here. She asked me to come here. I can't let myself be afraid so much! I have to be brave for her.'

'I can't stay away from her. I have to be close to her. I have to protect her and love her and make sure no one hurts her at all.'

'I have to.'

There was a strange noise on the other side of the door that made him jump, but the door soon opened to reveal a Cassiechan that was all smiles, so he tried not to worry.

"Hi!" she told him, her voice nearly a song. Kagayaki was pleasantly surprised as she kissed him, returning the gesture by giving her a small kiss in return. 'Is this going too fast?' "Come on in!"

He nodded, slipping inside and closing the door behind him. Looking around, Kagayaki saw everything was exactly the same. Not that he'd expected something to change, he just liked being reminded that things hadn't changed here. He liked it here. Then he set down his bags and pulled her into a comforting hug. "Feelin' betterl, ne?" he asked with a slight laugh, holding her close. Leaning back a little, he placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Been okay, yah. Soon."

'Because I won't let anyone hurt you, or take you away from me.'

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

He looked sort of surprised to find her kissing him immediately after opening the door, but he returned it, for which Cassie was glad. "Come on in!" she told him cheerfully. He did, shutting the door carefully behind him. Cassie watched this, amused. So careful...the house isn't gonna break or anything, you can relax a bit. Just because the house is an antique doesn't mean you have to treat it like one...I just wish most people would see that.

"So we're kissing but we're not dating?" she asked on impulse, stealing a line from an old Grey's Anatomy episode. Kagayaki only looked around the entry hall in response, as if checking to see if any major changes had been made in his absence. Cassie had to laugh at this. It's just me...you don't have to be so nervous...but then again, I'm nervous too. So it's the pot calling the kettle black, I guess.

Kagayaki pulled her into a hug, and she stood there for a minute, brought to silence by the simple gesture. Hugs. Hugs are good. I wish people would hug me more often. If everyone in the world hugged all the time, life could be so much better... Erin's words from before flooded into her head at this, how Erin had told her that she couldn't do certain things if they weren't officially dating, but she tried her best to push them away. Let's just take it one thing at a time, okay? I'm sure this isn't what she meant.

"Feelin' betterl, ne?" Startled out of her reverie, Cassie nodded as he gently kissed her cheek. "Been okay, yah. Soon."

But how do you know that? she wanted to ask, some of her happiness starting to ebb away. She gave another nod, looking up at him with a weak smile on her face. "Yeah. I hope so."

Okay. Enough of the pity party now...your friends have seen enough of that. Back to the happy, okay? Can we try that? Cookies. Cookies will make us happy.

She shook her head, a real smile coming over her face. "Um. Anyway. Cookies? Shall we? I have something for you, by the way. Follow me." Leading him into the kitchen, she held up a box of Pocky and gestured to the rest of the Japanese snacks. "I hope you like this stuff...Shelby just had a bunch of it lying around, and I've never had anything like this before, so I thought it might be nice to have some...I have, what's it called...Ramune? Soda? Yeah, I have some of that too, but..." she laughed, picking up a bottle. "I am clearly incompetent, because I can't figure out how to open them!"

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"So we're kissing but we're not dating?"

Kagayaki smiled, looking around to make sure nothing had changed. 'That could change if you told me you wanted it to,' he wanted to say. But, he just hugged her instead, because he wasn't sure how to say that to her. After a few moments, he spoke: "Feelin' betterl, ne?" Cassie nodded, and he kissed her cheek. "Been okay, yah. Soon."

She nodded again, looking at him with a smile that made him worry. 'She's so sad...' "Yeah. I hope so."

He kissed her lips. "No 'hop'," he said, dramatically, pointing to an unseen challenger. "Knowed." He smiled at her. "Knowed, yah. Do. Jus' do."

Then a real smile came onto her face. "Um. Anyway. Cookies? Shall we? I have something for you, by the way. Follow me." she told him, leading him into the other room. He felt his heart pounding, but he knew he was over-reacting. She held up a box of Pocky and he laughed. "I hope you like this stuff...Shelby just had a bunch of it lying around, and I've never had anything like this before, so I thought it might be nice to have some...I have, what's it called...Ramune? Soda? Yeah, I have some of that too, but..." Kagayaki felt his breath taken away as Cassiechan laughed. She took up a bottle of Ramune in her hands. Ah, he knew Ramune. He loved Ramune.

He looked at all the flavors, letting a slightly disappointed look cross his face.

His favorite flavor wasn't here.

Kagayaki sighed. 'Silly Americans. They just don't appreciate octopus, do they?'

"I am clearly incompetent, because I can't figure out how to open them!"

Letting out a laugh, Kagayaki took up the bottle and - with a movement that was robotic for him - he opened it, handing it back to her with a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Betterl? Okaasan teched me, yah. Very smalt, she, yah."

[The Phantom of Paris]

OOC: Sorry if the way I described him opening up the bottle of Ramune constitutes god-modding...I just wanted to describe it the way Cassie saw it. I'll edit and get rid of it if need be, though. BIC:

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

Her attempt to be coy and playful was met with only a smile and a glance around the entrance hall, and Cassie gave a mental sigh. It just wasn't in her nature to be all flirty and stuff like that, and she knew it wouldn't work even if she tried, because it just wasn't her. She had to be herself for this--whatever it was--to work. Yeah...be myself. Never easy, but it's doable, I guess...we'll see how it works. Take it one step at a time and all that...oh, why do the movies make everything seem so easy when it's always, always, always the opposite?

Kagayaki's attempt to tell her that everything would be all right in the end also fell flat, just like Cassie's flirting attempts. She felt bad, because she trusted him, but those exact words had been repeated to her more times than she could count since the divorce had begun. And if everyone else was wrong about it...what makes this any different than all those other times? "Yeah. I hope so," was all she managed to say.

He kissed her again, and Cassie seemed to float up from the ground, settling somewhere at the top of the high ceiling in the old entryway. Why am I doing this? What is it about you that makes me believe that I can fly?she wondered as she closed her eyes. "No 'hop'," he told her. "Knowed. Knowed, yah. Do. Jus' do."

Cassie smiled, feeling more reassured now. "Okay. "Um. Anyway. Cookies? Shall we? I have something for you, by the way. Follow me. I hope you like this stuff...Shelby just had a bunch of it lying around, and I've never had anything like this before, so I thought it might be nice to have some...I have, what's it called...Ramune? Soda? Yeah, I have some of that too, but...I am clearly incompetent, because I can't figure out how to open them!" She noted the quick look of disappointment that came over his face as he studied the array of drinks, and she mentally kicked herself. Way to feed every single stereotype involving Japan ever, Cassie...just because he's Japanese doesn't mean he automatically loves this stuff...words can't describe how incredibly useless I am.

But then she heard him laughing, and she watched as he took the bottle from her and located the tiny green disc of plastic that supposedly magically opened it. She watched in wonder as he pressed down on the green thing, breaking some of it off and leaving just a little circle with a smaller cylinder-shaped thing protruding off of it, which he then pushed into the top of the bottle, over the little glass marble that prevented the beverage from spilling, until Cassie heard a POP! and saw the carbonation in the drink bubbling over. Her mouth dropped open as he handed her the bottle, and she looked inside it to see that the little marble that had been covering up the top of the bottle was now happily bobbing in the neck of the bottle, supported by the glass and leaving the opening free to drink from. He leaned in and gave her another kiss on the cheek as she looked from him to the little glass bottle in her hand, in a state of awe over how something so simple could be so complicated, and vice versa.

"Betterl? Okaasan teched me, yah. Very smalt, she, yah."

"She sure is! Why is it so hard to open?" Cassie asked with a laugh. "Arigato...let's see if I can say this right, I looked it up and everything...Arigato go--gozai--" The foreign words felt strange on her tongue, and she knew she was most likely making a complete and utter fool of herself. "BLAH. I can do this. Okay. Arigato gozai...masu," she said finally, giving him an embarrassed smile.

She glanced at the flavor of soda that Kagayaki had opened--strawberry--and took a sip. Instantly a grin came over her face. "Wow! That's so good--it's like drinking candy!" She grabbed another bottle, this one of original. "Now I want to try opening one myself!"

After a minute or two of struggling, she finally managed to open it without too much damage to the surrounding snacks or the kitchen itself, although the fizzy drink did bubble over and spill out onto the countertop a bit. She laughed again, shrugging. "Ah, well. Practice makes perfect!" She grabbed a sponge and cleaned up the mess before grinning over at Kagayaki. "Okay. What do you want to make first?"

[More than Music]

OOC: It's fine, Poppysan. I've never opened one in my life, so you describing it is no problem for me. XD
BIC:

Kagayaki Aidou


Kagayaki felt like bursting into laughter when Cassie watched him with awe as he opened up the bottle. "Betterl? Okaasan teched me, yah. Very smalt, she, yah."

"She sure is! Why is it so hard to open?" she asked with a laugh. Kagayaki shrugged, then smiled and let out a laugh of his own. "Arigato...let's see if I can say this right, I looked it up and everything...Arigato go--gozai--" Kagayaki's mouth fell open. She was trying to speak Japanese again! "BLAH. I can do this. Okay. Arigato gozai...masu," Kagayaki smiled to wide he was sure he looked like a complete idiot.

"Doumo!" he laughed and kissed her for trying to speak his native language. "You do good."

Watching as Cassiechan took a drink of the Ramune, Kagayaki couldn't help but laugh again as he saw the pleased look on her face. "Wow! That's so good--it's like drinking candy!" she cried, grabbing another one. "Now I want to try opening one myself!"

Kagayaki shook his head. "Is daijobu... ariraito..." he assured her, but she still gave it her best effort. Kagayaki sighed, almost taking it from her and opening it himself. "No hurt self," he teased, his hands slipping into his pockets. She didn't want his help, but, if she had... he would have gone behind her, his arms showing hers where to go, his head leaned against hers...

And that would have been nice.

But she did open it, and completely on her own too. Kagayaki had known she could. But that didn't make the image of him helping her go away.

The idea of being so close to her made a strange electric feeling rush through him.

"Ah, well. Practice makes perfect!" Cassiechan said, cleaning up the mess the bubblign soda had made. Kagayaki just smiled and nodded.

'Does that mean you had to practice making yourself so wonderful? Did you ever get any sleep?'

"Okay. What do you want to make first?"

Kagayaki, finding he was understanding her English better and better, had to smile at this. Oh, what he wanted to say to that! A term Yukitokun had often used was in his thoughts hard. Shaking his head a little to push these crazy thoughts away, he looked over at the stuff she'd gotten out before he'd arrived.

"I... I 'uno..." he said with a shrug, smiling at her. After a few moments of silence passed, he found himself moving forwards, taking the Ramune out of her hand and putting it on the counter. "Cassiechan." 'I can't help it... I love how it feels to be close to you... I have to...' He pulled her close, his arms wrapped around her waist and his eyes closing. Kagayaki laid his cheek against hers, letting them sway a little as the sensation of having her near made his heart pound. "Daisuki." he whispered. Then he captured her lips, finding such an embrace becoming deeper with every time he let it happen. His hands slipped up from her waist to her back.

'I love you. Somehow I just... do... and I'll do whatever you want me to.'

'Just don't make me go away.'

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

"No hurt self," Kagayaki teased in a way that reminded her of her siblings. She stuck her tongue out at him before grinning, still struggling with the little bottle of soda in her hand. It can't be too hard, you just saw how it works...you can do this! You'll look like an idiot if you don't!

Eventually, she succeeded in her quest with the countertop as the only casualty as some of the fizzy beverage spilled over the top of the bottle. Mission accomplished. Mostly. "Ah, well. Practice makes perfect!" she said, mentally kicking herself for using the old cliche. Why is this so difficult for me? Why am I acting like such a dork! Can't I just...be myself and not screw this up?

"Okay. What do you want to make first?" she asked with a smile after she'd finished cleaning up. Despite the fact that she'd had cooks and maids all her life, Cassie didn't mind cleaning all that much, and she would occasionally volunteer to help with things when her mother wasn't around to chide her for it. Dishes were her favorite thing to do--she would turn the taps on full-blast and sing as she worked, the water making so much noise as to drown out her voice. She really didn't like singing for people at all--it made her feel too self-conscious, and she truly admired people like Erin and Kagayaki who were able to do something like that, get up on a stage and let the world hear their voices without fear.

Although... she thought, sneaking a glance at Kagayaki as she grabbed a purple apron and tied it around her waist, Maybe if you asked me to sing for you, I would.

"I... I 'uno..." Kagayaki said, glancing around at the baking supplies Cassie had gotten out. Cassie thought for a minute. "Chocolate chip sound okay?" she asked. "It's a classic, after all..." She handed him a blue apron with a smile. "You should probably put this on." She took another sip of Ramune as the oven beeped cheerfully at her, letting her know it was preheated and ready to cook. She was just about to walk over and start getting out the other things they would need--sugar, chocolate chips--when Kagayaki stepped forward, gently taking the soda from her.

She looked up. "Hmm? What..."

"Cassiechan," he said softly. Even the way he said her name made her feel...she didn't know what. His arms wrapped around her, and she closed her eyes, letting the feeling of safety wash over her. If you keep doing this, I'm not sure I can stop myself from falling for you...

"Daisuki," he whispered, putting such feeling into the word that she thought there might be more to it than he had led her to believe online. Before she could respond, he kissed her. All words left her mind as she stood there, caught up in it.

I don't think I want to stop myself from falling for you.

When she pulled away, she had to fight a bit to regain the ability to think. "I like you too," she said breathlessly. "I really do. This is all so..." she trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence.

Cassie gave him a mischevious grin. "Do you want to make cookies or not?" I don't care at this point...cookies don't matter... "If you do, would you mind getting the flour for me? You're taller than I am," she said, kissing him.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Okay. What do you want to make first?" she asked, and Kagayaki almost wanting so smack himself for what immediately came to mind: "out?"

'Stop it! That's no way to think!'

"I... I 'uno..." was what he finally said, looking around with a shrug.

"Chocolate chip sound okay? It's a classic, after all..." she told him, handing him an apron, a smile on her face. She was so beautiful... "You should probably put this on." He nodded, but found himself setting it down on the counter, instead taking the Ramune from her and putting it beside the apron. She looked a little confused. "Hmm? What..."

"Cassiechan," he whispered, pulling her close. 'I don't want you to ever go away... and I don't want to ever leave this place.' "Daisuki." Then he kissed her, maybe a bit deeper than he should have.

Was he already beginning to fall into that pattern? That pattern that always ended with him messing this sort of thing up?

No. He couldn't do that again.

Then Cassiechan pulled away from him, and he found himself leaning forwards a bit, almost wanting to kiss her again. 'No. Don't make it go too fast! This has just started. I'll break her heart before I really have a chance to love her if I do that.' "I like you too," she told him, and he felt his heart race as he heard the breathlessness in her voice. "I really do. This is all so..." He waited for her to finish that sentence, but she never did. Only smiling at him in a way that made a crooked grin cross his face. "Do you want to make cookies or not?"

'Cookies? Oh yeah! Cookies.' He shook his head a little, kissing her cheek. "Okay..." he sighed, picking up the apron. He tried to put it on, but got confused and ended up setting it down.

"If you do, would you mind getting the flour for me? You're taller than I am,"

Kagayaki was about to remind her he couldn't be that much taller than her - they were pretty much eye-to-eye - but then she kissed him and he couldn't protest. "Hai," he immediately said as they separated, he looked up. "That?" He pointed, then reached for it. 'Aw, come on, it's just a bag. I can get it! I can...' Finally managing to get it, stretched out a bit, Kagayaki ignored the pained protest send to his brain from his right leg. 'No, that's all healed up now. I don't need it to bother me.' "HA!" he cried in victory as it came into his hands. But the smile on his face soon disappeared as the bag hit the floor, exploding on contact and sending a cloud of white powder all through the air.

As the flour settled, Kagayaki looked around. Once he saw Cassiechan, he started roaring with laughter. They were covered in flour. It was a hilarious sight, to be sure.

"Gomen nasaaaaaaaaaai..." he said, then laughed again. "We all white-d!"

[Elda Forever]

Preston Brailsford

He looked up at the enormous building, and let out a long, even breath. Sure, it was one of those fancy houses. He should have known from the emo expression and hoodie, because that screamed rich girl. Why am I even here? He had tried his hardest to put the red-haired girl from before out of his mind, but it had only taken a few days for him to 'absently drop the question' of who the girl was. Some old friends of hers hung out in the edges of his circle, so by a long, complex line of people, he had learned her name and where she lived, and that she hadn't been to school since the day he had first seen her. Shelby Wright. Sounds like a character from a movie's name to me.. He couldn't place how it sounded familiar to him, but he liked it.

Preston stared up at the enormous white building in wonder, pushing the hoodie of his grey sweatshirt away from his face. He stuck his hands in the enormous pockets and kicked lightly at the black iron fence, feeling already as if he didn't belong. Not because the house was way out there - which it was, his dad made enough money, but he had the feeling Shelby had never had to clean out the toilets at her house - but because he really, really shouldn't be there. This was some stranger's house. He didn't know her. He probably would never know her. For all he knew, she had walked off some bridge after he had nearly ran her over.


That was why he was here. Because he hadn't heard that she was alright. Because she hadn't looked surprised, or scared even, when his car had nearly slammed into her. She must have realized... What would make a person so ambivalent to that, and how easy would it be for that person to fall into trouble - and the next time, she might not be so lucky.

He shuffled up the steps, staring his enormous tennis shoes a he knocked on the door. Then he realized that a bell would probably work at a fancy place like that, so he started looking for a bell, when someone opened the door.

[The Phantom of Paris]

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

She had to laugh as she watched him struggle with the apron. "Do you maybe want some help?" she asked, immediately realizing how weird that question sounded. Why is it I only have this problem when I'm with you? Why is this happening so fast, why can't I control my own stupid mouth...I don't know what to do! Cassie looked away, trying to regain her ability to breathe without sounding like she was having an asthma attack, or like she had just accidentally eaten an entire bag of walnuts or something and triggered her hated allergy--a lack of air that wasn't helped by the kiss she gave him, either. If you're not careful, Kagayaki, you might end up killing me one of these days...

This is all so new and confusing still... she thought as she attempted to calm her pounding heart. I've never felt like this before! Why am I so useless in situations like these? None of my other relationships have ever worked out for more than a few weeks...but this seems different somehow. I don't know how, but it does...

Erin's words came rushing back to her at this. What are you, friends--Friends with benefits or something?" "You can't do things like that, Cassie!" "It's different. It just is."

She's right, and I know that...but I'm afraid that making it official will make it like every other time I've tried to go out with someone! I'm so sick of being afraid! I just need to be brave!

Cassie looked up and laughed to see Kagayaki struggle to reach the flour in the top shelf of the pantry. "Sorry..." she said, giggling, "I guess it's not much easier for you...you are taller, though." She laughed again, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Here goes nothing.

"Um...Kagayaki, would you--"

"HA!" came the cry of triumph as he reached the elusive flour. What happened next seemed to do so in slow motion--the grin on his face melting away as the bag slipped from his hands, tumbling to the floor. "Fail!" Cassie cried as it hit the immaculate kitchen floor.

Her vision became white and fluffy as flour flew through the air, settling on any available surface. Cassie sneezed and looked over in Kagayaki's direction as the flour rainstorm began to abate. They both burst out laughing at the same time. She put a hand to her stomach as she giggled hysterically, pointing from the floor to her once-black shirt to Kagayaki's hair.

"Gomen nasaaaaaaaaaai... We all white-d!"

She was laughing too hard to speak as she walked over to him, slipping a bit on the flour-covered floor. "My mother..." she said through fits of giggles, "will probably kill me if she sees this. But I forgive you." And she kissed him again, laughing into the kiss as there was a loud knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Cassie asked, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. She looked down at her flour-covered T-shirt and skirt in mock despair. "This should be interesting...don't go anywhere, okay?" she asked as she walked past him towards the front door.

"Oh, and..." she added, turning back and leaning on the doorframe, "Don't hurt yourself." She grinned.

She was still laughing when she opened the door. "Can I help you?"

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Sorry..." Cassiechan laughed as she saw him trying to grab the bag. He laughed in return, still trying desperately to reach it. "I guess it's not much easier for you...you are taller, though." He heard her laugh again, and looked over for a second to see her tuck a hair behind her ear.

'Oh wow... that... that's hot...' he found himself thinking before he could stop himself. 'Wait! No! Going too fast! GRAB THAT FLOUR!'

"Um...Kagayaki, would you--"

He didn't mean to cut her off as he let out a cry of victory. Then the bag went crashing to the floor and filled the air with its powder.

"Fail!" he heard Cassiechan let out.

When they could see again, they both looked at each other at the same time and laughed at the same moment. Cassiechan pointed to the messy floor, to her shirt - which had been black before the flour - , then to his hair. Kagayaki reached up, brushing hundreds of flour particles out of his half-red half-black locks. This made him laugh again.

"Gomen nasaaaaaaaaaai... We all white-d!" he said. Cassiechan was still laughing as she came over to him. She almost slipped but he grabbed her, one hand shooting to the counter and one taking hold of her arm and drawing her near.

"My mother..." she began, through fits of giggles, "will probably kill me if she sees this. But I forgive you." She kissed him again, and the sensation of her laughter against his lips made him laugh too.

Then someone knocked on the door, making Cassiechan pull away from him. She seemed just as disappointed as him, though.

"Who could that be?" she questioned, looking around. "This should be interesting...don't go anywhere, okay?" Kagayaki watched Cassiechan walked by, a little bit closer than he probably should have, and he was glad she didn't notice. "Oh, and... Don't hurt yourself." His eyes sparkled as she leaned back out of the doorway.

She was so amazing.

'Don't let me mess this up... please don't let me mess this up.' Kagayaki picked up the Ramune Cassie had been holding, staring at it softly. Then he set it down, opened up one of his own, and drank nearly half of it in one drink. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was. Carefully he peeked into the other room. "Cassiechan? Who dat, ne?"

[Elda Forever]

Preston Brailsford

He didn't even have a chance to locate the bell - much less press it - before a red-headed girl opened the door. He could actually still see that her hair was red, despite all the white powder mixture covering most of her. For a long moment, he thought it was Shelby Wright beneath all the mess, and he almost grinned with glee, thinking she was laughing, and it was a beautiful sound. He hoped maybe she had come out of the rut he'd seen her in. Then he began to wonder if it was just around him that she acted so strangely.

Then he realized - this wasn't Shelby. She looked a lot like her, but this was definitely not her. The simplest way he could have explained the little and large differences between the two was the hair. Shelby's hair was curly, he could have said, but there was much more visual space between the faces, the eyes, the curl of the lips. And Preston shuffled a little awkwardly, frustrated with himself for the mistake. Shelby Wright didn't smile when I saw her.

"Can I help you?"

"Um...yeah, actually." he managed, smiling weakly, "I'm...looking for Shelby? Shelby Wright?" He was a little afraid he had mistaken the house as well as the girl, but then again, the two looked so much alike. He was half-afraid of being mistaken, and way too cautious to say so. "I...uh...wanted to make sure she was alright, after the whole car thing, because I hadn't seen

"Cassiechan? Who dat, ne?" came a male voice from inside, and Preston's eyes widened. Aw, man. I think I totally interrupted something here. Bad idea. It was a bad idea from the start.

"I'm sorry.."