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[paigewritestrash-blog]

City of Stars - Hyun Ryu (Zen) x OC

This au will take place in Zen's high school/late teen years. And I’m using the soulmate au where you can hear your soulmate's voice in your head, but only when they sing. Parts of this have been inspired by the musical La La Land, and the lyrics to the songs I write will be from that movie. It's been a while since I've played Zen's route, so please keep that in mind, and enjoy! Warnings: angst

Ever since I was young I’ve heard a beautiful voice in my mind that would sing the most breath taking notes I have ever heard. Apparently almost everyone has this, and some claim that the voice is the voice of your soulmate. Sometimes I wonder if my soulmate hears my voice when I sing, too. I'm in high school, studying music creation and learning how to perfect my guitar playing skills, along with piano and violin. I want to be great one day. I want to be a world famous singer and instrumentalist. My dad works as a police officer in town. He and I are very close compared to me and my mom. Our personalities have always clicked, meanwhile my mom and I's have always clashed. I often visit my dad in the office to bring him dinner. He works a lot, mainly during the night shift to watch over the cells. Normally there's one or two drunks waiting around in the cells for tomorrow, but on occasion I see a very handsome boy with silver hair and a rat tail trailing down his back in the cell. How someone so good looking wound up in a cell over night beats me. We've never had the chance to talk, but something about him intrigues me. The office is dark as usual when I arrive, my dad waiting up front to lead me to the back towards his desk. I eye the three cells. In one a drunk I see in here occasionally sleeps on the bench attached to the wall. In the third cell, I spy the silver haired boy. The two of us make eye contact and for a second my heart stops. I quickly advert my gaze back to my father, sitting at the desk adjacent to his, putting my feet up. "What'd your mother make for dinner tonight?" He looks excitedly at the brown bag. I laugh. "See for yourself." He won't be happy. My mom didn't want to cook tonight, so we ended up with fast food. My father loathes fast food. Sure enough, he peers into the bag and lets out a loud groan. "Not greasy burgers again," he pushes the bag aside. "I want to eat dinner with my family for once." He sighs. I open my mouth to reply, but I'm cut off with my dads walkie going off. "Requesting back up, all units to 43rd street asap. That means you, Officer Lee." My father looks to me, and to the inmates behind his desk in the cells. He turns back to me. "I have to go on this call. I can trust that you'll watch over these guys until I get back, yes?" I nod. "Of course. Go ahead." My dad smiles and plants a kiss on my forehead before gathering his gun and heading for the door. I whirl around in the office chair to see the boy already looking at me. He flashes me a smile, putting his arms through the openings in the cell and leaning against it. "Miss Lee, can I ask your name?" I cross my legs and raise a brow. "My parents taught me not to talk to strangers. You could be a serial killer for all I know." I shrug. He laughs. "Do I look like a murderer to you, miss?" "Anyone can be a murderer. So yes, you do." I smile at the defeated look on his face, though I quickly give in. "My name is Haneul." "It's nice to finally meet you. You can call me Zen." He grins. "And now that the introductions are out of the way, I have to ask..." He looks at my face and sighs. "Do you do your own makeup?" I'm taken back for a second. "Of course I do, why?" "Well," he starts. "I've been in a couple of plays. The makeup artists kind of sucked." Zen shrugs. I laugh. "They put makeup on someone like you?" He raises a brow, not sure what I mean by that. I elaborate. "I just mean that uh, to put it lightly, you're beautiful." Zen doesn't seem to be shocked at my statement, he just wears a sly smirk. "I said the same thing. They told me everyone that goes on stage wears makeup, so no exceptions, I guess." I look him up and down. He wears black ripped jeans, although they seem to be ripped by personal use versus jeans that you can buy that way. He wears a black and white striped t-shirt, exposing his well toned arms. I swallow hard, looking back to his piercing red eyes. "So what does an actor have to do to get thrown behind bars, huh?" Zen looks down at the floor, heaving a deep sigh. I guess my question was kind of personal, but to my surprise, he answers. "I'm a starting actor, my job doesn't exactly pay the bills... I got caught stealing from a gas station down the road." "You do these things often then?" I ask. "Yeah." He frowns, twiddling his fingers, avoiding eye contact. "I'm not proud of these things though, Haneul. I'm not a bad person." "I don't think you are." I shrug. He looks up to me slowly, a half smile spread on his face. "It just means you'll do whatever it takes to make it in this world, and to achieve your dreams. I respect that." Zen smiles now. "You're right. I want to see my name and face on billboards. I want people to be talking about me everywhere..." He looks off into the distance with a wide smile on his face. "And most of all, I want to move people with my acting." I nod. "I think we have similar dreams, Zen. I want to be a world famous musician." "We'll accomplish our dreams, Haneul. One day..." He trails off, looking at his feet. "Hey, since you're an actor, that means you sing too, right?" I change the subject to something lighter. I want to hear if his voice is any good. Zen nods. "Sing to me." I give him an innocent smile and bat my eyes a couple times. He huffs. "Okay. But only a few lines." I nod excitedly. He clears his throat a few times and when he begins to sing, my entire body is engulfed in chills. I feel them tingle up my spine and rise on my arms and legs. I couldn't deny that voice even if I tried. It's the voice in my head. When he stops I look at him completely different. Does he hear my voice when I sing, too? What if he's my soulmate but I'm not his? "Was my voice really that breathtaking? You're speechless." Zen laughs, pulling me from my thoughts. "Oh, I'm sorry." I scratch the back of my neck nervously. I turn around in my chair and rummage through the desk I sit at. I grab a pen and paper from the drawer and scribble my phone number, along with my name. I fold the paper and put everything back how I found it. "I-I just forgot my mom wanted me home because I have to practice piano. Call me, though." I hand him the paper and flash him a smile. "I'll call you when I get out. Take care, Haneul." I nod. "You too, Zen." After voice lessons that evening, I make my way home, silently hoping that my mom will have dinner ready when I get there. My stomach is growling just thinking about it... The warm April breeze blows my hair into my face. I grumble and shake it from my eyes. I hear my phone start to ring, although it's neither my mom or dad's ringtone. I rummage through my bag and answer it, the number unknown. "Haneul?" A familiar voice asks. "Oh, hey Zen! You got out finally?" "Yeah. Since I didn't actually take anything from the gas station and they didn't catch me on video, I got off with a lifetime ban from that place." He sounds happy when he tells me this. "I have something I wanted to ask you though, and you have to promise me something." "Hm," I think for a second. 'It depends on what you're asking me to promise. I take them very seriously." "Promise you won't think I'm crazy?" Zen asks. I scoff. "I can't completely promise you that... But if I think you sound crazy, I won't tell you." Zen huffs. "Good enough. I was wondering though... Sometimes I-uh... I hear a voice in my head... But her voice only sings, and she sounds beautiful..." He trails off again, not sure if he should have confided in me or not. I decide to quiz him. "What was the last song she sang?" If he sings the song I sang in voice lessons today back to me, we're soulmates. He hums the tune to the song I've memorized the lyrics to, and I sing them back to him. The line goes silent almost immediately after I start to sing. "Zen? Are you there?" "Huh? Oh- yeah... How do you know that song?" "Have you ever heard of soulmates?" I return the question. "Of course I have." "Do you believe in them?" I ask again. "I'm not sure. I had a couple friends in school who claimed they met their soulmate... At first I really wanted to find her, but I sort of gave up after a few girls." He laughs a little at the last bit. "What if I told you that I hear your voice in my head when you sing, Zen?" The line stays silent for a few seconds too long. "I hear your voice too, Haneul... I recognized it the second you sang." I laugh now, realizing I ditched him last night because of this. "Last night I didn't actually have to practice piano. I left because I recognized your voice too." "Hm.. Well, my inner romantic is telling me that I take you on a date now that we know we're soulmates and all." Zen says rather suave. I smile, feeling my face heat up. "I'd love that." As I near my house, I'm reminded of my parents. Specifically my dad. He wouldn't be too pleased to know what I had just agreed to, especially considering Zen and him have met multiple times before, under different circumstances. "For now, I think we should keep it quiet with the date. My dad would kill you if he found out about this." "Of course. Text me your address, and I'll pick you up tomorrow evening." When I arrive at home, sure enough, the smell of food embraces me. I toss my bag onto the couch and kick off my shoes, shedding my jacket off as well. The house is eerily silent as I walk into the kitchen, where my parents sit at the dinner table. A sheet of paper sits on the table in front of my mom, who is now looking at me. "What's going on?" I ask cautiously. I sit down in the middle of the two, reaching for the food that sits on the table. My mom slides the paper over to me, and I notice it's my report card. "You have a forty percent in math class. How did that happen?" My mom's usual voice is stern and unforgiving. "I don't understand it, mom. I'm trying my best." I say simply, shoveling food onto my plate. My dad follows suit, staying silent as usual. "You need to spend more time studying then." My mom says simply. "You're grounded until your grades come up." My jaw drops in awe. "No matter how much I study I won't understand it. It's too hard." She frowns. "Nothing is too hard, Haneul. You are only allowed to go to your music lessons and school. Other than that, you will be here, working on improving your grades." I cross my arms across my chest, not hungry anymore. "Can I be excused?" My mom opens her mouth to reply, and my dad stops her. "Sure, honey. I'll put your food in the microwave for later." I nod a thank you and head to my room with my bag. I won't be able to go on the date tomorrow now. Unless I sneak out, of course. Although my dad being a police officer won't make sneaking out easy, I can't pass up on a date with Zen. If he truly is my soulmate, I was blessed by whatever higher power is above us. He's the most beautiful man I've ever seen, and we seem to get along well. I flop onto my bed, staring at the ceiling for a moment before pulling out my phone to text Zen. [Haneul]: I got grounded. I'm going to sneak out though, so no worries. ;) [Zen]: How? Are you okay? [Haneul]: I'm fine. I just suck at math and my mom is really strict. [Zen]: If you sneak out you could get in trouble. I'm not worth getting punished for. [Haneul]: Don't worry. It's not like I haven't snuck out before, Zen. [Zen]: If you say so. I'll pick you up tomorrow around 7PM then. The entire day seems to move in slow motion. Even my music lessons went by so agonizingly slow that I thought maybe my teacher changed the clock when I wasn't looking. That evening I wolf down dinner so fast that my parents can't help but look at me in shock. I explain to them I hadn't eaten all day, and I must go back to my room to study. I get dressed and make sure my door is locked.  I turn on my radio so it seems like I'm in my room. I slide on my jacket, not caring enough to zip it up. When I peer out my window, I don't see Zen anywhere. I climb down anyways, wandering into my mom's garden. I spot her roses and pick five for Zen. My mom might be upset that her flowers were ruined, but it's worth it to be a little romantic. I hear footsteps behind me. I whirl around to see Zen dressed in a black button up shirt and regular blue jeans. He holds five white roses, smiling at me as he looks me up and down. "You look great." "Don't I always?" I tease him. He laughs, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "I- um, these are for you." I hand him the flowers. Zen gives me a cheeky grin. "I picked these for you too!" We exchange the flowers and start walking down my street. "So, what do you have planned?" I ask. "I was supposed to plan something?" My smile fades quickly to a frown. I furrow my brows, causing Zen to laugh. "I'm kidding. Don't worry, babe." We walk for about five minutes before coming to a run down neighborhood. I'm not exactly sure why Zen would bring me on a date to a place like this, but I don't question him. Somewhere between my house and here we ended up intertwining fingers, but neither of us lets go as we weave through the buildings. Zen brings me to an old apartment building and leads me inside the front door. "Why are we here?" He pulls me up the stairs. "You'll see." When we get to the roof, I see a blanket spread on the ground, a small lantern sitting beside it, and five candles all spread around the blanket. Zen crouches down and lights every candle, then takes a seat on the blanket. I follow him, sitting down as well. I can't help but stare at the night sky, letting out a large exhale. "This is really nice, Zen." I can hear the smile in his voice. "I'm glad you think so. Starry skies always seem to relax me." "I agree. Life is hard, it's nice to just take a deep breath and get away from it all..." I shake my head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all sentimental." "No, it's fine. I think the night sky can do that to anyone," he reaches for my hand, locking his with mine. "I used to come here a lot when I was younger in order to get away from my family." I hesitate for a moment, unsure if I should ask. "Was your home life difficult?" He sighs, not taking his gaze from the sky. "Yeah. I ran away when I was in middle school." "That's awful... You got by by stealing things, didn't you?" He nods. "If this is too tough for you to talk about, we can change the subject." Zen shakes his head no. "It's nice to talk about it..." He turns to me with a small smile. "I feel like I can tell you anything, Haneul... Even though we just met, I-" He stops himself, biting his lip. "I really enjoy your company." I smile. "I like talking to you too, Zen." He huffs. "Speaking of that... I think you should know that Zen isn't my real name." I raise a brow. "My name is Hyun Ryu. I ditched my name because I didn't want to be attached to my past." I nod. "Your past made you who you are though, don't you think?" He pauses for a moment. My statement made him think. "You're right... Though, I want to remember my past so that I can be a better actor. I'm going to be great one day, and I'll show them." I grin, letting go of his hand to wrap an arm around his shoulder. "I believe you'll be talked about all over the world, Zen." He mutters a thank you. His head rests on my shoulder, his arm roping around my waist, hugging me close. "I want you to be with me for every moment of my success, Haneul." "Only if you'll be there for mine." I mumble. "No doubt about it, babe." After spending a couple hours talking on the roof, we gather our things and roam the houses and apartments in the neighborhood. We stumble upon an abandoned furnished house, and in the living room sits a piano. I'm the first to rush towards it, pressing the keys. To our surprise, it actually works. I take a seat on the bench that creaks under the sudden pressure. "I'll play, and you can sing." I smile to Zen, who has found his place next to me. He warms his voice up a little as I get accustomed to the keys. I start to play a song I had heard in a musical I watched recently. It appears Zen knows the song, because he quickly joins in to the music. "City of stars, are you shining just for me?" He sings the first lyrics, his voice echoing in my head that sends chills throughout me. His voice is beautiful... "City of stars, there's so much that I can't see. Who knows? I felt it from the first embrace I shared with you..." I join in to the girls part of the duet as I continue to play piano. "That now our dreams, they finally come true. City of stars, just one thing everybody wants. There in the bars, and through the smokescreen of the crowded restaurants, it's love... Yes, all we're looking for is love from someone else." Zen joins in. "A rush," "A glance," "A touch," "A dance." The two if us sing in unison now. I can't help but look at him while we sing. Though my heart is racing, I feel like I'm on cloud nine. The two of us exchange smiles filled with bliss as we both sing in harmony. I don't even notice his voice echoing in my head anymore, I'm focused on living in this moment, right now. When I saw Zen in the cell at the station in the past, I never thought he was the one that had the voice of an angel that played in my head endlessly. I'm so glad we talked though, because the more time we spend together tonight, the more I can feel myself falling head over heels for him. At this point, it doesn't matter to me if my dad disagrees or not. Zen kisses me goodnight and leaves me breathless under my window, holding the five white roses he gave me. When I climb up to my window, I find that everything is how it should be, and my door is still locked. I get dressed into my pajamas. I decided on our way home that I was going to tell my parents about Zen if we continue to get along like we did tonight. He's promised me he wouldn't be caught in a cell again, no matter the circumstances. If he takes promises as serious as me, he'll keep it. The rest of the month Zen and I seem to be inseparable. I told my parents I'm seeing someone, and they want to meet him tonight. Zen is beyond nervous my dad might actually shoot him, so I assured him I would tell my dad before he got here. Mainly because I share Zen's worry. My dad is what some would call protective over me. My mom cooks dinner in the kitchen while my dad and I sit in the living room. "Dad, have I told you you've already met the guy I've been seeing?" I ask. His gaze shoots over to me. "Better not be someone I've arrested." He sips his tea. "Um... Actually, dad..." I sigh. "It's Hyun Ryu." My dad narrows his brows at me until he realizes I'm not joking. He opens his mouth to speak, but shuts it again. He sighs deeply. "He's not a bad kid, but he's no good for my daughter." I frown. "He's my soulmate, dad." He raises a brow. "Like, your mom and I?" My parents met in choir when my mom sang a solo for the chorus. I simply nod, causing my dad to become more conflicted. "He promised to stop breaking the law, and he's kept that promise." My dad frowns. "I'll allow it-" I start to smile, but he raises his index finger at me. "Under one condition. He can't replace me as your favorite." I laugh. "Don't stress it, dad." Dinner with my parents went well. My dad grilled Zen with questions, but he handled them very well. I think Zen even charmed my parents a bit. The rest of the night is spent cuddled on my bed, watching a musical Zen had picked out. We hadn't been paying much attention to it. I eventually convinced Zen to let me braid his hair, his head on my lap. He started to doze off until the music kicked up on the movie, making him jolt awake. "The next movie we watch will be my pick. You won't fall asleep to it." I grin. "Is it a horror movie?" He asks sleepily. I can't lie to him. "I guess you'll have to find out." I finish braiding his hair and take a picture with my phone. "You look even more beautiful than before, Zen. I've done the impossible." I show him the picture, and he sits up, making his way to my mirror. "I have to admit," he poses in the mirror, even flexing his arms a little. "I look amazing." He flashes a wink in the mirror, then whirls around to smile at me. "I don't think anyone could be as beautiful as you, my princess." I feel my cheeks grow hot as he hovers over me, his face inches from mine. "I think you're right." I tease with a sheepish smile. "I love you, Haneul..." His voice is a whisper, but I hear it loud and clear. When I don't respond, he speaks again. "You don't have to say it back. Just know that I meant what I said." I shake my head, touching his cheek. "I love you too." I mutter. Before I can say anything else, his lips crash onto mine quite roughly. Though I don't mind. We both forget about watching another movie that night. The next two months go by with a blur. Zen and I remain as close as ever, and tonight he's taking me out for our anniversary. I had completely forgotten, but Zen insisted that we do something. We arrive at a very fancy restaurant, and I'm taken back. "Zen, are you sure you want to do this? This place is expensive-" He cuts me off. "Don't worry about it, my love." He intertwines our fingers together. "I want to treat you." He smiles. I sigh and follow him inside, where we're seated immediately due to reservation. Zen seems kind of nervous during our date. He fiddles with his tie a lot, uncomfortable with how tight it is. "I actually have a present for you, Haneul." "You didn't have to, Zen..." He shakes his head, handing me a small box. "I wanted to." I take the box, and in it is a simple silver ring with a pink diamond in the middle that shines under the lighting. "Oh... This is beautiful- You shouldn't have." I take it out and put it on my ring finger immediately, looking at it closely. "I love it, thank you so much." He smiles. "I'm glad you like it, Haneul." That night when I get home, my parents sit in the living room, watching their usual game show. "How'd the date go?" My mom asks. I jump over the back of the couch, flopping down between the two of them. "It went amazing! He gave me this beautiful ring." I stick up my hand, showing the both of them. "A promise ring... That's very impressive." My mom smiles, looking at the ring closely. "This is beautiful." "Wait. A promise what?" I repeat. I thought it was just a simple gift... "A promise ring. You give it to someone to promise you'll be together forever." My dad says. "Did you not know that?" I shake my head no and take the ring off. "I don't want to get married... I have so much I want to accomplish in life." My mom furrows her brows at me. "You're going to break that boys heart if you don't wear his ring. It doesn't mean you'll get married tomorrow, dear. It means you promise you'll be together forever." I stand up from the couch, putting the ring in my pocket. "I can't promise that!" I cry out. "I don't know if I can keep it..." "Haneul..." My mom gasps. "That sweet boy spent money for that ring. Don't break his heart." I shake my head no. "I won't make a promise I can't keep, mom! You know that. I'm giving the ring back." I turn on my heel and run up the stairs before my mom can say anything further. My dad doesn't object, probably because he supports my decision not to promise myself to someone at such a young age. I love Zen with all I have, but why do we need a ring to prove that? The following evening when Zen comes over, he notices I'm not wearing the ring almost instantly, frowning. "Where'd it go? You didn't lose it, did you?" I chew on my lip nervously, grabbing it from my dresser and showing it to him. "Why aren't you wearing it?" "My parents told me that this is a promise ring, Zen. Why didn't you tell me?" I ask. He furrows his brows together. "I thought you knew. Is that an issue?" "It is, actually... Zen, I don't make promises I can't keep." I sigh. "I love you so much. Why can't we just say we'll be always be together instead of wearing a ring to prove it? I mean, how much money did you spend on this?" Zen frowns. "I gave you that ring to prove to you how much I want to be with you forever, Haneul. Do you not feel the same way?" "That's not the case, Zen. I want to be with you too, but I won't make a promise that I know I can't keep. We both have such broad dreams that we want to achieve... We can't work our ass off and still have time to love each other unconditionally. That's not how fame works." "We'll always make time for one another... I don't see what the problem is. I want you to wear that ring... It's a symbol of how much we love each other. If you don't wear it, it's basically saying you don't love me!" He cries out, his tone of voice rising. I huff. "Why do we need a silly piece of jewelry to determine that? I love you, but I can't promise you that we'll be together forever, Zen! We can't predict the future!" I shout. I grow more frustrated by the second. I can see his eyes welling with tears. I feel awful that I'm upsetting him... "If you won't wear my ring, Haneul, I don't think this will work." My heart drops to my feet. "Are you breaking up with me?" He blinks tears from his eyes and swallows hard. "Are you going to wear the ring?" He challenges. I shake my head no. "I'm sorry, Zen..." He takes the ring from my hand, but he doesn't step away. He leans down and kisses my forehead. "I love you, but we're through, Haneul." Before I can say anything else, he's gone as fast as he came. I'm left in my room with a huge void in my chest that aches when I try to breathe. I lost my soulmate. *Six years later* Even years after Zen and I broke up, I still hear his angelic singing in my head. I've gotten used to it, but in the beginning, my heart felt like it shattered with every note he sang. Since I graduated high school, I've released two albums where I did all of the music, including vocals. I became famous very quickly, though I still perform for parties and groups. Tonight I'm playing piano for a party hosted by the RFA. I'm not exactly sure who the members are, but I was contacted by a woman named Jaehee Kang, and she appears to be the one that greeted me when I arrived. There's only a guest or two at the party so far, but I take my seat at the piano anyways, warming myself up. I start to play the first song that pops into my head, which happens to be City of Stars. I sing along quietly, quiet enough that no one appears to hear me over the sound of the piano. By the end of my song, I can hear applaud around the room. I look around with a smile as I play my next song. While I'm playing I lock eyes with someone I'd only heard, not seen in the past six years. The red eyes pierce into me and they make my heart stop. I falter in my song, but I quickly recover and continue to play. He walks over, causing me to grow even more nervous. I expect him to yell at me, tell me how much he resents me. But he gives me that same smile that I fell in love with years ago, and leans against the piano. "Hello, Haneul."

[paigewritestrash-blog]

Just One Yesterday - Aomine Daiki x OC

I wrote this when I was bored and thought of something really fucking angsty. Towards the very end I’m going to add a twist, making Midorima a witch sort of like the ones in AHS Coven. You’ll see why when you read.

Warnings: angst. lots of it.

My whole school life I spent my time in the shadows. I had a few friends, but none that I spent a lot of time with after school. I joined the women's baseball team this year at Touou after playing volleyball in middle school in hopes that I would make some friends while I play a different sport. After my older sister passed away a couple years ago, I didn't have much interest in making friends or being noticed by others. I have yet to spend a lot of time with my team mates, because I was sort of a ghost to them. That is until my boyfriend at the time had cheated on me. I broke up with him in the cafeteria when I found out through my acquaintance Momoi that he had been seen going to the movies with another girl. I dumped my food and my drink on his head, and proceeded to get suspended for two days. Was it worth it? Yes, and it was worth getting grounded by my parents too. Not only am I known now as the girl that dumped food on her ex, but as rumors circulate, they tend to get twisted. I'm also known as the girl who's boyfriend cheated on her with a woman twice my age. It's both disgusting and completely untrue. I used to wish I wasn't invisible to everyone at school. But now that I'm not, I regret ever wishing I was noticed. I want to go back to being a ghost. The judging eyes burn into me as I walk the halls and make me uncomfortable. "Kaori!" A boy calls out as I walk to lunch. I roll my eyes and keep walking. He runs to catch up with me, slightly breathing heavy as he looks down at me. I've seen him in a few of my classes. His hair is short and black, his eyes a bright blue. I can't recall his name because I don't pay much attention to people at school. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me this Friday." He smiles. I watch him from the corner of my eye, his arm reaching around me. I swiftly duck away from his grasp, smacking his arm away. "No. And keep your arm to yourself. Next time I'll break it." I threaten with an ice cold tone. He seems taken aback. I leave him standing in shock as I walk towards the doors. I'm desperate to get away from here, at least for a second. The only place I can think of is the roof. I pull my phone and headphones from my bag, plugging them in and putting my music on shuffle. I climb the ladder to the roof, sliding my bag off of my shoulder and shoving my phone into my pocket. I sing along to the song I'm listening to, rejoicing the fact that I'm alone, and no one can hear or see me. Though I don't understand the words to the song I'm singing, because it's English, I sing it anyways. I pronounce the words the best I can. In the midst of my enjoyment, I find myself dancing to the upbeat electronic tune. It's not until I open my eyes at the end of the song that I see someone standing at the edge of the roof, watching me with an annoyed look. My face immediately turns red as the boy scans me up and down. I take out my headphones as he starts to speak. "Are you done? I came here to nap." He mumbles in annoyance. I raise a brow. How could this boy be so harsh to me without meeting me? "Maybe. If you can check your attitude." I cross my arms across my chest, sending him a cold stare to match the one he gives me. He groans, stretching his arms out over his head. The boy yawns. "I don't feel like arguing with some girl. If your singing and, whatever you were doing, matters that much, I'll find somewhere else to sleep." "Hey!" I cry out, unfolding my arms. I stomp my foot and clench my fists.  "I'll have you know that my dancing is great! And you're not the only one that wants to get away from school." I point a finger at him, narrowing my brows. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors about me." He takes a look at me once more, then shakes his head. "I don't care about school drama, or people at school." He sounds dull. I watch him look over to my bag where my bento has fallen out, probably after I tossed it to the ground. "I might forgive you for invading my space if you let me see what you brought for lunch." I roll my eyes. I never eat my lunch as it is. I hand the bento to him. "Help yourself." I think I see a hint of a smile on his face as he tears it open. He doesn't look over the food for long before digging in and sitting down, crossing his legs pretzel style. "You can continue whatever you were doing." He says through a mouthful of food. I scoff. "I'm so glad I have your permission, um...." I trail off, realizing I don't even know his name. I recognize him from the basketball team, however. I see him around Momoi a lot. "What's your name?" "Aomine." He mumbles, not taking his eyes from the food. Aomine Daiki.... He's been friends with Momoi since I can remember. People used to think they were a couple for a while. I smile. "I'm Kaori. And for the future, I'm going to come here again. So if you want to avoid me, you might want to reschedule." "Reschedule?" He cries out. Bits of food fly out of his mouth and I scrunch my nose in disgust. Boys. "I've been coming here since the first day! I'm not moving my nap times, either." I roll my eyes and flop down on the roof, crossing my legs. "Then you're stuck with me." I grin. "If I keep giving you my lunch, will you compromise and share this spot with me?" He doesn't hesitate. "Sure. Whoever cooked this, they should continue for the future." He looks to me, motioning his pointer finger to the bento, that's already almost gone. I smile wide, feeling warm inside at the compliment. "I cooked it, actually. So thank you." I beam with pride. I've never been recognized for my cooking. My parents work a lot, and they leave for business trips a lot. So I'm often left to cook for myself. "You're an impressive cook." He mutters. He sets the empty box beside him, wiping his face with his sleeve and proceeding to lean back on his palms. "I've seen you around before... Are you on a sports team?" He furrows his brows together, scanning my face. "I'm the ace of the baseball team." I beam, suddenly feeling proud of myself. "I used to play basketball a lot in my free time, so you may have seen me around parks and such." He thinks for a moment. "Could be. So you like basketball?" "Of course!" I grin. "I love running around the court, and scoring a point is so exhilarating! I love everything about sports." I have a lot of energy, though I don't let that off with my personality. I don't get hyped up unless I'm talking about something I enjoy. "Although, I'm a lot better at baseball than basketball. I'd beat anyone in a pitching contest, and I could score a home run with any fast pitch." I say with confidence. I have amazing hand-eye coordination, and I can tell how fast the ball is coming at me with ease. I'm a force to be reckoned with on the field. "I'd love to see you live up to those words, Kaori." He smirks. "When's the next game?" I raise a brow at him. "Next Monday... Are you sure? I don't see you as enjoying any other sport besides basketball." "I don't, for the most part." He runs his fingers through his hair, heaving a sigh. "But I don't like people with mouths that are bigger than they are." I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, signalling I need to head back inside for class. I smile to Aomine. "Trust me, I would never say something I can't live up to. You'll see next week, Dai-chan!" He's immediately taken back, his face turning to an outraged expression. "Don't give me a nickname, we just met!" He cries out. I wink. "I'll see you tomorrow. If you want my lunch, that is." I grab my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. I wave a goodbye to Aomine, climbing down the ladder. I'm not sure why I'm so excited for him to watch me play. My parents never come to my games, so the idea of having someone there specifically to watch me makes me overwhelmed with happiness. ***** The following days I returned to the roof at that time, as did Aomine. His first question upon arrival for the first two days afterwards were strictly food-based. He would continuously praise my food, and we would talk about whatever came to mind. We both laid back on the roof, staring at the bright blue sky. "You said there were rumors going around about you, right?" Aomine breaks the silence. "Yeah..." I trail off. "Why? What did you hear?" If he heard some of the things that have been circulating, I doubt he would be here. I heard from one of my team mates I supposedly got an STD from my ex... I was disgusted. In order to contract one of those you have to do something with the other person, right? "Nothing. I was just wondering what this school could have possibly conjured up about you." He says simply, not taking his eyes from the sky. I roll over onto my side, propping up on my elbow and resting my head in my palm. "Well, it started when I dumped food on my cheating ex in the cafeteria after Momoi told me he was seen going to the movies with another girl." I smile, remembering the shocked look on his face as I called him a liar and gave him a face full of piping hot food. "I remember seeing that." Aomine laughs at the thought as well. "I didn't think that was you, though." He turns his head to look at me now. "It was." I grin. "But, after that rumor got out that the girl he cheated on me with was twice my age, which wasn't true." "Gross." He scrunches his face in disgust. "Unless she had big tits, then I'd get it." I roll my eyes at his comment. "It gets more disgusting. People are saying that I got an STD from him now." "Ew!" He sits up quickly and looks at me with a gaping mouth. "You don't... Do you?" "Dai-chan!" I punch him in the arm, which hurts my hand as much as I hurt him. "Of course I don't! I didn't even sleep with him." Daiki rubs where I hit with a frown. "Okay, sheesh... But you know, you shouldn't care much about what people say. It's high school, everyone will forget in a couple weeks." I heave a sigh. "I hope so. I've gotten so many guys trying to talk to me because of this." Daiki's head snaps toward me. "What do you tell them?" He asks. He watches me closely, and I give him a confused look. "I tell them to piss off... I don't want some random guy who I've never talked to taking me on a date." I grumble. "It's weird." "Yeah... Really weird." Daiki scratches the back of his neck, lying back down on the roof. "Those guys just care because of the rumors they hear." I nod. That's why I didn't pay them any mind. My phone buzzes, reminding us we need to get going. Daiki and I groan with irritation in unison. He sits up, and we both reach for my phone. Our hands brush in the midst of it, and I feel my face grow hot as he quickly snatches his hand back. I shut off the alarm and shove my phone back into my pocket. "Back to the chamber of torture." I grumble. I hear a small laugh from Daiki and I feel a sense of accomplishment. He doesn't seem to smile or laugh often, so when I'm the cause of that, I can't help but feel happy. "Hey, uh, Kaori?" Daiki stops me before we go separate ways to class. "The basketball team is entering the Interhigh prelims... I wanted to invite you to a game on Friday-" "I'd love to!" I cut him off, thrilled that he'd ask me. I stand on my tip toes to attempt to ruffle his hair, just barely reaching. I mess up his hair slightly. "I'm honored you asked, Dai-chan! I'll definitely be there." He huffs, fixing his hair reluctantly. "I'll look forward to it." I can see a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth, which only grows wider when we make eye contact. "I should get to class, but I'll see you tomorrow, Daiki!" I give him a warm smile, and he nods at me. "Have a good day, Kaori." He waves goodbye, and as I walk away I can't help but smile to myself. Daiki is the first person I feel like I've developed a friendship with. He's the last person I thought I would befriend, because when I see him around he always looks so bored and disinterested. Even with Momoi, he doesn't seem to want to be there. But with me, it's different. He actually asks me questions and seems interested in our conversations, though I'm not sure why. I appreciate every moment we've spent together. I've enjoyed myself more with him than anyone else. I overflow with excitement knowing that I'll see him tomorrow, and that we're attending one another's sports events. For once in my high school baseball career, I'm going to practice. I want to amaze Daiki. ***** Watching basketball usually bores me, but watching Daiki play was invigorating. He has undeniable talent, and then some. Touou absolutely crushed the opposing team, as I expected within the first quarter. The difference in strength was far too great, and Touou will advance in the prelims. I leave my seat and find Daiki walking the halls. "Congratulations!" I call out to him. His attention averts to me quickly, and I can see the corners of his mouth twitching into a grin. I run up to him, flinging my arms around him. He's sweaty and warm, but I don't mind. He's taken back at first, but he hugs me back. "You guys dominated out there! And your plays were flawless!" I overflow with excitement, letting go to look up at him. His expression seems kind of bored, as usual. "I know. I've been undefeated since middle school." I frown. "So none of the games you've played have been challenging?" I raise a brow. He starts to walk toward the exit, and I walk next to him. "No one can match my strength. That game you just watched? I didn't even give my all. I don't think I'll ever find someone that can make me put effort into a game." He sounds disappointed when he says this. I know he loves basketball, because if he didn't he would have quit long ago. I sort of feel for him, because that's why I quit playing volleyball and didn't join it this year. I got too good, and I didn't love the sport anymore. So I started practicing baseball over the summer. I pick up things easily and perfect them quickly. I became the ace of the team very fast, and I fell in love with playing the sport. The thrill of running to the bases and sliding to home before getting struck out, it's invigorating. I frown, looking up at him. "Someone will come around and test your strength, Daiki. You just have to be patient." I smile, trying to be optimistic for him. "It could be this year, for all you know!" He sighs. "I don't know. Maybe." I change the subject quickly, seeing as he's not very interested in it. "We should go get milkshakes to celebrate your win!" I exclaim. "I'll buy." His face lightens up a bit and he nods. "I'm in." ***** When we got our food at Maji Burger before I could get money from my bag, Daiki ended up paying for our drinks, and his food. We talked for so long that we had lost track of the time, and the workers warned us that they would be closing soon. That night he walked me home, and I could feel the mood between the two of us changing. He didn't seem bored when I would ramble about certain topics. He would listen to me intently, and sometimes ask questions. That weekend I got invited by Momoi go shopping with the two of them. She claimed he'd be more willing to go if he knew I was coming. I reluctantly went, sort of excited to go shopping with Momoi and Daiki. This must mean I've made two new friends. While shopping Momoi and I walked around the mall, excitedly going through stores and picking out clothes for one another. Daiki trudged behind us, complaining most of the time and asking when we would get to the food court. However the excitement from the weekend came to an end Monday, when I realized that my game was today. I've never gotten nervous before a game, but knowing that Daiki will be watching is making me strive to do the best I can and give it my all. When I actually show up to the game early, my teammates are in shock. "What're you doing here so early, Kaori?" I shrug, grabbing my bat from my bag. "I figured I'd actually go all out in this game." I twirl the bat in my hand, heading towards the field. A basket of baseballs already sits from practice earlier that day. I swing the bat a few times before actually grabbing a ball and tossing it into the air. I hit it dead on, and the ball soars across the field. I repeat the process and each time I don't miss the ball. I'm filled with confidence, just in time for the seats to fill up and for the opposing team to arrive. I end the game with four home runs, and I even sent a ball completely out of the stadium as well. I struck out all but one person I pitched to. My opponents sent curve balls, high balls, and even fast ones at me. None can get past my close eye. I definitely put my all into the game. Daiki finds me after the game as the crowd flows out of the stadium. "Kaori! You were so cool out there!" He exclaims. I've never seen him this excited, so I'm taken back. I laugh nervously. "You really think so?" I scratch the back of my neck, looking at my feet. "Yes! You hit a home run each time you were up to bat, and no matter what they threw at you, you saw through it!" He makes elaborate motions with his hands. "That curve ball, you were like swish! with the bat, and woosh! with that pitch! It was like I blinked and the ball was already in the umpire's mitt!" I can't help but laugh at how excited he's gotten over me playing. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself then." I can feel my cheeks turning red, flattered at the fact that I amazed him. Daiki is a very aloof and laid back person, for him to be excited over something I did? I can't believe it. "Um, my parents are away on a business trip, if you want to come back to my place for something to eat..." I trail off, not sure where I was going with the sentence. He raises a brow. "Sure." The corners of his mouth twitch into a smile as I throw my bag over my shoulder, and we both walk towards the direction of my house. After I made food for the both of us, I show Daiki the place I go to relax. My roof. I grab a blanket and lay it across the roof. The two of us lay down beside one another, taking a deep exhale as we stare up at the sky. "If you could have any power, Daiki, what would you pick?" I ask, not looking away from the stars in the sky. He thinks for a moment. "Time control. I could get hours of sleep, and resume time as if nothing happened." He says it so simply, as if he's thought this through completely. "You could pause time, zoom past someone on the court, and bam! You win the game easily." He hesitates. "I wouldn't need a power for winning though. I already have that ability." He scoffs. I laugh, pondering the possibilities of powers I could have. "I would want to have the power to teleport. If I'm late for school? No worries! I can just teleport there. And you wouldn't have to worry about plane tickets!" I exclaim. A small snicker comes from Daiki. "Do you think you could teleport to space, though?" "Oh, you bet!" I sit up, excitement flowing through me at the thought of going to space. "I'd teleport to a spaceship on the moon! Astronauts would be in for such a treat." I grin. The thought of leaving the atmosphere gives me a thrill. I want to explore the world and then some. Knowing there's stuff outside this Earth that we can't touch or see, it's fascinating. I can feel Daiki's eyes on me as I stare up at the twinkling stars, but I don't mind. "It's so beautiful out here, don't you think?" I turn back to look at him, and he wears a content smile. "It's breathtaking." He smiles at me, and my heart begins to race. I can't ignore how he makes me feel. The way he makes my stomach do flips and the way I get lost in our conversations... It gets stronger everyday. I turn my attention back to the sky, laying back down on the blanket. "Kaori, do your parents travel often?" He asks. "Yeah." I sigh. "That's how I became such a good cook. I've had to cook for myself for a while." "They'd leave you by yourself even as a child?" Daiki seems exasperated at this. I giggle slightly, turning on my side to look at him. He's already watching me, his hands folded behind his head. "No, of course not. My older sister used to be here to stay with me..." I trail off, not wanting to drag the mood down. He furrows his brows together. "Where is she now?" I swallow hard, looking away and back up at the stars. I'm not sure if I should tell him or not... I haven't really opened up to anyone about my sister's death. I hardly talked to my parents about it, let alone someone I met a week ago. Daiki senses something's wrong, because he clears his throat. "If it's a hard topic, you don't have to answer me, Kaori." I heave a sigh. I want to tell him, though. "She died a couple years ago. I was fourteen at the time." "Oh... Um, I'm... Sorry you had to go through that." His tone is solemn. I shake my head. "It's fine. I'm okay." I laugh nervously. In the midst of my thinking, I must have gripped the blanket for some sort of release or comfort. My knuckles are white and the blanket is crumpled. I hear Daiki sigh, and I can feel him scoot closer to me. I feel a sudden warmth on my hand, his hand slipping in mine. He intertwines our fingers without a word, and I don't dare to say anything either. I just squeeze his hand. I assume this is his way of comforting me. Words don't seem to be Daiki's forte. "Thank you." I whisper. I'm not exactly sure what I'm thanking him for. For being the first real friend I've had, or for giving me some sort of comfort... I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm grateful. He squeezes my hand tight. I can feel the warmth radiating from him, warming me in the cold night air. Exhaustion from my game is setting in, and with the warmth of Daiki next to me and the comfort of my own home, I can't fight my eyes as they force themselves closed. ***** As Winter draws closer and closer, Daiki and I do the same. The three of us, including Momoi, have become really good friends. I feel like I belong somewhere finally. Baseball season is over, just in time for the basketball team to start practicing for the Winter Cup. Daiki skips practice to spend time on the roof with me. He doesn't seem to care for practice, because he claims he doesn't need it. I don't think he does either, seeing his true strength during the Interhigh. He claims even then, he didn't give it his all. This weekend, I invited Daiki to my house. The air between the two of us is different lately. I obviously have feelings for him, and I think he's felt the same for a while too. Neither of us have yet to make the first move or come out to the other, so if he doesn't do so tonight, I'll take it upon myself. I sing along and dance to a song I play while I finish cooking food for the both of us, using my spoon as a microphone. I whirl around mid-song to see Daiki watching me with a content smile spread on his face. "Daiki!" I jump, throwing the spoon I held into the air. It lands on the ground with a loud crash, and Daiki muffles a laugh. "You can't sneak up on me like that." I frown. "What if I were in my underwear or something?" Daiki smirks. "That'd be a sight worth seeing." My face heats up as I pick up the spoon I had dropped, tossing it into the sink. I make a plate for him, and one for myself too. "Since you picked the movies last weekend, I picked the movies this weekend." I smile, excited to see his reaction to the movies I chose. He follows me to the living room. The play screen sits, showing the name of the movie: High School Musical. "A musical?" He groans, sitting down on his usual place on the couch. I sit down beside him, grabbing the remote. "Yes, a musical. No complaining, either! I didn't complain when you chose a movie from the '50s with Marilyn Monroe in it." I point out. He heaves a sigh, knowing that I'm right. I press play and the two of us silently enjoy our food as the movie starts. After we both finish eating, I take our dishes to the kitchen and shut off all of the lights. I grab a blanket from the back of the couch. When I offer some to Daiki, he shakes his head. "I'm warm enough." He waves a dismissing hand at me, not taking his eyes from the screen. He seems to be enjoying the movie, which makes me warm inside. I snuggle into my spot on the couch, enveloping myself in my blanket. It's dark and Daiki isn't paying attention to what I'm doing... Now's my chance. I lay my head on his shoulder, his body radiating warmth to my cheek. He tenses for a moment, and I can feel him look down at me. Daiki's arm wraps around my shoulder though, making me more comfortable. While the movie plays, I end up singing every song. Needless to say, I love these movies. Daiki doesn't seem to mind that I sing, seeing as I do it all the time anyway. The feeling of being so close to him makes my heart race. I don't want this moment to be interrupted. I could fall asleep being held so close to him. I wrap my arm around his torso, hugging him closer. My face burns, and I silently thank that I turned off the lights so he can't see my bright red face. Daiki seems to relax in my touch, exhaling deeply and putting his feet on the coffee table. By the end of the movie I could feel myself drifting to sleep, but the ending credits woke me from my daze. I pull away from Daiki, the both of us stretching in unison. He yawns, which causes me to yawn as well. "Did you like it?" I ask with a hopeful look. He gives me a small smile. "I did. Are there more?" "Two more! We can watch them, if you want? The other two are a lot better," I explain excitedly. Daiki watches me intently. "The last one is the best by far. It captures the struggle of not knowing what you want to do in life, and Troy and Gabriela experience more relationship issues." I wiggle my brows at the last part. Daiki snorts. "I'd love to watch them with you." He says calmly. He holds eye contact with me, his eyes flitting to my lips and back to me. I wait for him to make a move. He takes me by surprise when he grabs my face, pulling me to his. The kiss is hesitant at first, but I quickly kiss him back. This is what I've wanted since we became friends. Our lips move in sync, both of us breathing heavy. I'm caught between wanting to keep going and stopping before this goes too far. I guess Daiki thought the same, because he pulls away. His hands have dropped to my shoulders. This time he smiles wide, his eyes twinkling even through the light of the TV. I can't help but smile and laugh nervously at what just happened. My face is probably bright red. "Sorry if I uh... Took you by surprise..." He drops his hands to his sides. I shake my head. "It's okay. I've wanted you to do that for a long time, actually..." I look down at my lap. "Me too, Kaori." He wipes his palms on his pants and clears his throat. "Movie number two!" I exclaim, breaking the tension. "Shall we?" I ask him with a giddy grin, and he simply nods. "Bring it on."

Shortly after that night Daiki and I decided to start dating. Momoi was the one to call it first, as she always said we would when the three of us were together. It's the first couple of days at school as we're open with the fact we're together, holding hands in the hallway, brief kisses, the usual. It's been about a month since I broke up with my ex in the cafeteria, and a month of ignoring his constant texts and phone calls. Once I started getting close with Daiki, it seems he realized that I really was done with him. But it seems that he doesn't take the hint, because when I open my locker that day, it's filled with roses. "Daiki! Did you do this?" I exclaim, looking at him with an excited grin. Though he doesn't look happy. In fact, he seems furious, as he's let go of my hand to clench his fists. "It wasn't me." He says through gritted teeth. I tilt my head at him in confusion. It takes a moment for it to click when I see my favorite types of chocolate sitting in my locker buried under the roses. I pick up the chocolates, and on it reads a note: Meet me after school at our old spot if you feel the same. I start to match Daiki's fury. "Does he not understand that I'm with you now?" I throw the chocolates onto the ground, my shouting causing everyone to look towards me. I hop up and down on the chocolates. "I. Don't. Want. You!" I scream out with every jump. I can hear a small snicker coming from Daiki. He's been good at keeping his calm over this whole thing. I've had him respond to multiple texts from my ex, but he doesn't seem to care. He wants me back. I heave a sigh and pick up all of the roses and the chocolates. There were at least thirty. I throw them into the garbage. "This guy is pissing me off, Kaori. We have to do something..." His fists are clenched tightly, his knuckles turning pale. "If he keeps doing this shit I'll kill him." I think for a moment. Our usual spot is by the river downtown. We used to sit on the fence and talk for hours. "I'll meet him at our usual spot like he said, and I'll make sure he gets it through his head." I reassure Daiki, grabbing his balled up fist. He exhales deeply, intertwining his fingers with mine. "I hope so. Because you're my girlfriend. He lost his chance." He seems more calm now that I've reassured him, but I can tell how jealous this is making him. This is infuriating to me too, however. Before Daiki and I started getting serious about our feelings toward the other, I didn't mind the texts from my ex. I would block his number, block him on social media, and so forth. But he continued to find a way to harass me. This will come to an end tonight after school. I'm sure of it. ***** When I arrive at our old spot, Shou sits on the wooden fence already. His eyes meet mine and my stomach drops. His smile makes me want to shove him off of the fence and into the water. I stand beside him, crossing my arms across my chest. He opens his mouth to speak, but I stop him. "This is the last time I'll tell you this, Shou. So are you listening?" I look him the eye, my tone firm and stern. I'm making my point clear, and if it doesn't get through to him, I fear Daiki may step in. Shou nods. "I don't want to be with you. You broke my heart and you ruined the one chance you ever had. If you ever make a romantic advance towards me again, I won't let it fly." I glare at him now, recalling the thirty roses he put in my locker. "If you love me so much, you should've shown it when we were together instead of giving love that was supposed to be for me, to some other girl. I didn't deserve that, Shou. I loved you with all I had." "I'm so sorry, it was a mistake-" "A mistake that can't be taken back. So don't you ever get an idea that I may want you back. Because I don't. Am I clear?" "Kaori... Just listen to me, I love you! I always have," his face contorts with sadness, his eyes welling with tears. "I regret what I did... It eats me up everyday." I roll my eyes. "You won't convince me." I decide to sit beside him on the fence, and put a hand on his shoulder. "I do forgive you for what you did. I met someone because of that." I smile at him, and he looks up to me with a small smile. "You forgive me?" He sounds hopeful. I nod. Before I can blink I feel his lips on mine. I shove him back so hard that he wobbles on the fence. "Shou, what the hell?" I scream. "You said you forgave me." He frowns. "And that I met someone else! Do you not understand that I have a boyfriend? A boyfriend that's so much better than you ever were, might I add." I'm fuming now, jabbing his chest with my fingernail. "He makes me feel loved and he makes me happy! Two things you could never do, and oh, don't even get me started on how great he is-" Something hits my cheek, causing it to sting. I bite my tongue in the process, my head tilted to the side and my jaw gaping. My mouth fills with the metallic taste of blood. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I don't know what I was thinking..." Shou stands up on the wooden slats of the fence, but I stop him. "You crossed a line." I'm even more furious than before. He had no reason to hit me. I may have provoked him, but I couldn't see another way to get it through his thick skull. I lift my leg and kick him in the stomach. Hard. He cries out in pain, clutching his stomach. He stumbles on the fence and I watch him splash into the water. I fight the urge to laugh at him as he curses, pulling himself out of the muddy, shallow waters. "Don't look at me, don't speak to me, and don't you ever touch me again. My boyfriend isn't the only person you have to be afraid of." I climb off of the fence. His face has dropped as he stands in the water. I think he gets it. When I get back to my house, Daiki waits for me outside. He leans up against the side of my home, sleeping soundly. He truly can sleep anywhere. I touch his shoulder, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Daiki!" I shout. He sits up quickly, his head smacking mine in the process. I'm knocked backwards onto my butt, clutching my forehead. "Babe I'm so sorry! I just reacted!" He rushes to my side, but I just let out a laugh. I heave a sigh of relief. After the encounter with my ex, it feels good to be with someone I'm comfortable with. His concerned expression just grows deeper when he sees the redness of my cheek. "What the hell happened?" His voice is low and threatening. I smile, remembering how well I defended myself. "He tried to kiss me, and in response I got mad, as I do." I shrug. "He slapped me, and I kicked him in the stomach. He fell into the water, and I warned him that you're not the only person he should be afraid of." Daiki doesn't seem to be any less angry though. "He hit you?" I can almost see the steam rolling off of him, his teeth gritted in anger. He stands quickly and starts to walk. Shit. I run after him, grabbing his arm. He just shakes me off and continues to stomp down the street. I stop him the only way I know how. I jump on his back, covering his eyes with my hands. "Damn it, Kaori, get off of me!" Daiki roars. "I'm gonna kill this kid!" He pries my hands off of his eyes and continues to walk. I karate chop the top of Daiki's head. "You're not going to do anything, Aomine Daiki! I took care of it." I put my fist on top of his hand and push down, twisting it. "Stop walking you navy blue bastard!" "Ow!" He cries. He slides me off of his back, turning to look at me with a frown. "Are you sure you took care of it?" I laugh. "Daiki, you should've heard how hard I kicked him. I think I heard him throwing up as I walked away." That brings a small smile to his face. "And plus, he fell into muddy water. He was filthy, Daiki! He had to walk home like that." I laugh mid-sentence just looking back at the look on his face. I grab Daiki's hands, kissing his knuckles. "I'm strong, babe. I can defend myself, although I appreciate you wanting to stand up for me." His frown turns into a pout as he sighs deeply. "Okay, Kaori. I trust you." He pulls me into his embrace, hugging me tightly. He doesn't say he cares about me, but by the small things he does, I know how he feels. I love the posts he makes about me on social media, the stuffed animals he wins in crane machines for me, and when he watches my favorite things without complaining. I pull away from him only a little to look up at him, his arms slinking around my waist. "Can I tell you something?" "Hm.. Is it something good?" He asks. "It's just that... I'm in love with you. Nothing special." I wink, giving him a toothy grin. I watch his mouth twist into a smile as his grip on my waist tightens, pulling me closer. "Me too, Kaori." I furrow my brows together. I want him to actually say it. I push him a little. "You're in love with yourself too? I knew that already." I play dumb, tilting my head to the side. Daiki grumbles. "I'm... in love with you, too." He says quietly. I smile so wide my cheeks hurt. I stand on my tip toes to kiss him deeply. He kisses back instantly, a small hum coming from his throat when we break apart, his eyes still shut. Though it's still early in the relationship, I have a feeling this is a start of something good. We balance one another out really well. I feel like I've finally found peace and happiness in my life, something I longed for since my relationship with Shou started to decline. I have a feeling this will last. The happiness I feel when I'm with him is something I can't put into words. ***** After losing to Seirin, Daiki became a lot more focused on basketball. Now that he knows there are still people out there that he can battle at full strength, I think it's driven him to work harder. And that he has. We've finished our second year of high school, and Daiki has joined a street basketball team this summer with the Miracles, Kagami, and Kuroko. They plan to beat a team named Jabberwock, from America. They came to Japan and threatened our street teams with their undeniable strength and harsh play. We walk down the street to the gym they use for practice. Daiki and I stopped for ice cream on the way, the two of us trying to finish our cones before we arrive. I contently ride on Daiki's back, my legs locked around his torso tightly. I hold myself up by his shoulders. I watch my ice cream start to drip in the beating UV rays of summer. Before I can open my mouth to warn my boyfriend, a scoop of ice cream slides onto his head. He quickly shakes his head, and I immediately slide off of his back so he can freak out more freely. I hide a laugh as the scoop falls off of his head and splashes to the ground. He touches his head, then turns to me with an exasperated expression. "Kaori!' He screams, dragging out the vowels in my name has he throws his arms into the air. He throws his ice cream cone onto the ground in his outrage. "I'm going to be so sticky because of you! How could you miss it falling onto my head?" He shouts. I have to chew on my lip to fight the laughter that builds up. "I-I'm sorry.... Babe it just happened..." My snickering comes out when I speak, and Daiki looks at me with a frown. "My hair is all sticky now!" He cries. "I can't believe this. And now I don't have ice cream!" He scoffs. I sigh. "You can have mine. And," I pull a bottle of water from my bag. "Rinse your hair with this." A small smile forms on his face as he takes the water. "Aw, Kaori... I love you." He kisses the top of my head, cracking open the bottle of water. ***** After I began my third year of high school, my parents decided that I was old enough to take care of myself, as I had done it for all of these years as it is. They claimed they bought a place in the next town over, and they left the apartment to me. I love living alone, and Daiki basically lives here now. His parents don't seem to mind that he stays here, they just want him to come home after school to eat dinner with them. Part of me hates eating alone, but I understand that Daiki is close to his parents, since he's an only child. When Daiki comes home I'm finishing up cleaning the apartment. I sing along to the music that plays and dance around the living room in my underwear and his old Touou basketball jersey from our first year of high school. Daiki exhales loudly as he takes off his shoes and coat. He even slips off his jeans, kicking them off in the doorway. I laugh, "Long day?" I ask. "Something like that." He mutters. Daiki looks to me, his exhausted expression seeming a little livelier as his arms wrap around me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Are you okay?" I ask, hugging him back tightly, relishing in his warmth and the comforting smell of his cologne. "I am now." He pulls away to look down at me, kissing my nose. "Well," I rest my head on his chest again, squeezing my arms around him. "If you want to talk about it I'll be here to listen to you." He shakes his head. "My parents don't agree with some of the decisions I've made." His hand rubs my back soothingly. "But I don't care." I pull away to look at him, obviously confused. "What decisions? Do your parents not like me?" He gives a small scoff. "Not that... I just-" Daiki shakes his head. "You'll find out soon, okay?" My brows knit together in confusion and I pull away from him completely. "Is it a surprise for me?" He's very good at keeping secrets. Daiki just shrugs, trudging across the room to grab his jeans he had kicked off. He disappears into our room, leaving me to ponder what he could possibly be planning. For our second year anniversary, Daiki takes me to my favorite restaurant. It's extremely expensive so we only got to go once with money my parents had given me, but this time, he insists he's going pay. Daiki showed up to the restaurant with a very large bouquet of flowers and my favorite candy too. I bought him a very nice and expensive watch, because he seems to always arrive late to functions. But tonight, he was right on time with a wide smile on his face. "Happy anniversary, babe." He kisses my lips gently before taking a seat across from me. "I can't wait to give you your gift, so I'm going to give it to you now." He grins, though his aura has turned anxious. Daiki pulls a box from his pocket. "I'm not proposing or anything." He laughs nervously, scratching the back of his neck as he hands the box to me. "But I am promising that I will, someday." I open the box to see a beautiful stone that's turquoise, my birthstone. It's surrounded by two other white diamonds, the band silver. "I uh, had to guess the ring size... So we can take it to get fitted-" I slide it on, and it fits perfectly. I look at it under the lights with a bright smile. "I love it, Daiki!" I smile, leaning across the table to kiss him multiple times. "This is beautiful, and I promise that we'll get married someday." I reach under my chair and give him my present, put in a small bright blue bag with tissue paper. "Aw, Kaori, you didn't have to..." He tries to hide his excitement as he rips into the bag, tossing the paper onto the floor like a child. He opens the larger box to reveal a gold watch. His jaw drops. "How much did you spend on this, babe?" I shake my head. "Probably as much as you spent on this ring." The two of us had gotten jobs in our second year for a sense of independence. I work at a small retail shop, and Daiki works in a sports store, shockingly. Daiki puts on the watch and beams at it under the lighting of the restaurant. "I love it! Now I won't be late to everything." He grins at me from across the table. I hope when I'm older I can look back on this moment. I want to be able to remember the way I felt when Daiki and I first kissed. The butterflies I still get when he smiles at me, the way my heart races when he kisses me. I want to remember it all. And most of all, I want to remember him. ***** After high school, Daiki got recruited by the NBA team the Cleveland Caviliers. I'm moving with him to America for training camp in a month. He's attending the same school as Kagami, who got recruited his second year of high school. I'll be going to a college in America with a scholarship with softball (what they call women's baseball). I'm still undefeated and continue to get better at the sport. Until we can move, however, I'm working as much as I can to have money to transfer to US dollars. It's towards closing time, and the store is getting slow with customers. I walk around, refolding clothes that have gotten messed up, and putting things back where they belong. The bell on the door rings, and I whirl around expecting a customer. A man with a gun walks in, aiming the gun at me as he locks the door. "Don't try anything and I won't shoot." His voice is low and threatening. I nod slowly, watching as he walks through the store. He slips up and takes an eye off of me, and I run to the cash register. I pull a bat out from underneath the counter that I keep there in case of a time like this. I grab it just in time for him to turn to me. The gunshot is louder than I expected. It makes my ears ring and I'm crying out in agony before I can process what had happened. My hands hold my chest that gushes with blood, my lungs constricting and struggling to fill with air again and again. I slink to the ground as the man steps over me, punching the register open and shoving money into a bag. "You won't... Get away." I say through my struggle to breathe. My phone lays on the counter, and so does the landline. The man sees my eyes, and he shoves my phone into his pocket and rips the cord off of the landline phone. Now what? I start to think of Daiki as I realize I might die here. What will he do? I won't be there to see him succeed. "I won't leave you to die, sweetheart. Just suffer a little bit." I don't want to die. I want to see Daiki one last time. I want to hear his voice. I want to see his smile. I want to hear him laugh at my jokes. I want to tell him I love him. The man's sinister laugh however is the last thing I hear before my eyes force themselves shut. *Aomine's POV* I had been sleeping soundly when I get a call from a random number. It's late, and I notice that Kaori isn't home yet, either. My heart immediately begins to race as I put the two pieces together. I sit up and answer the phone. "Aomine, come to the hospital." It's her father. "Wh-Why?" I ask, standing up. I turn on the bedside lamp as I put on pants, holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder. "Is Kaori okay?" "We don't know. Just come." He says. And with that he hangs up. Her dad never cared for me much, but he sounds distressed. He's not one to show much emotion. I slip on a shirt as well, cramming my phone into my pocket and grabbing my car keys. I make the drive quickly, and I was lead to a waiting room for surgery. Her parents explain that her store was robbed, and in an attempt to defend herself, the man shot her. It could be hours before her surgery is completed, therefore hours before I know if she'll live or not. I twirl the watch on my wrist that she had gotten me a year ago for our anniversary. I can't bare to never see her again... I must have fallen asleep in the waiting room, because a door clicking shut wakes me. Kaori's parents are looking to a man who appears to be the surgeon. "The bullet just barely missed your daughter's heart... We were able to get it out but she's not doing well." He explains solemnly. It feels like someone punched me in the stomach. I can't breathe. "So... She's going to die?" I croak. The doctor looks to me with a sigh. "We can do all we can to prolong her life and make her comfortable... But the bullet damaged her lungs. It's making it difficult for her to breathe properly." It feels like I got shot too. I feel nauseous, like I'm going to puke. It feels like someone is squeezing all of the air on my insides and twisting my heart strings in a knot. I try to imagine life without Kaori in it completely. I don't like what I see. I stand up, leaving the room despite the questions from her parents. I throw up into the nearest trash can, finally able to at least breathe. She can't die. She has so much going for her... I want to see her be the greatest softball player in America. I want to see her in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle to marry me. But most of all, I want to see her. A life without her is a dark one with lack of light and happiness. She's been my positive energy for three years, my motivation. She's pushed me to achieve so many things. Without her I would have quit basketball... Quit school. I do the only thing I know. I call an old friend as I walk towards the exit. "Midorima?" I ask. "Nanodayo." He grumbles in a grumpy tone. I probably woke him up, but I don't care. This is urgent. "You still have um... Powers right?" I ask, not sure what I should and shouldn't say in the middle of this hospital. "Yes. What's it to you?" He asks. "Listen... This is an emergency. Can you bring back humans from the dead?" The line goes silent for a moment. "I can't play fate, Aomine." "Shit. What if uh, what if I sacrifice something? Like my life, or-" "I will not let you give up your life for someone else's, Aho!" He shouts over the line. He hesitates for a moment as I walk into the parking lot and towards my car. "Who are we talking about, exactly? It's not Kaori is it?" I sigh, feeling a gaping hole in my chest that aches every time I breathe. "We are." He doesn't speak for a long time, but I hear pages being flipped as if he were looking through a book. "Is she dead?" "No, but she's struggling... The doctor doesn't know if she'll make it." I feel a lump forming in my throat as my voice starts to shake. I can't bare the thought of her being gone. "I can't play the path fate has intended... But I can get around it in a way, if you're up for it." Midorima explains. "She'll live, and she'll be healthy, but... She won't remember anything that has to do with you." I feel a large twinge of pain in my chest. I won't be able to kiss her, or hug her... I won't even be able to hear her laugh. But she'll live. She'll be happy, nonetheless. "She'll remember that she's going to go to America to play softball, right?" "Yes. She will remember her life in school, too. But anything to do with you, it will be a gray area that her mind will never be able to recall." He clears his throat. "She won't know who you are, and you won't be able to interact with her once she's alive, or fate will take over." I want her to live. That's the only thing I want more than anything... She deserves to live, even if she has to live without me, she won't experience the pain of ever losing me. "I'll do it." I say before I change my mind. "I'll meet you at the hospital tomorrow afternoon. Make sure no one else is in the room, of course." Midorima says. "You're sure about this, Aomine?" "I don't want her to die." "Okay. Get some sleep." Midorima doesn't give me a chance to respond, he just hangs up. That's the most caring he's ever been towards me. All of my friends are aware how much I love Kaori. I sit in my car, scrolling through pictures on my phone. I think of all the memories that Kaori will never be able to look back on. She won't know what happened on our first date. She won't know that she promised herself to me, and I her. I don't try to stop the tears that fall. I stop when I see a picture of Kaori that I took when she wasn't watching, as I do always. She's singing, of course. She clutches her chest as she belts out a note, her heart and body into the song. I can't help but smile. I want her to be happy. She can't be happy if she's not alive.  Though this decision will bring me pain that I don't think I'll ever move on from, I think it's worth it.. If Kaori can live a happy life, I hope I can find the ability to be happy too. ***** I meet Midorima at the hospital that afternoon after asking her parents if I could have some alone time with her when I visit. When I enter her hospital room, Midorima stays outside. "I'll give you a few minutes to say what you need." He closes the door behind me, and I'm left alone. I stare at Kaori as she lays in the hospital bed. She's attached to so many cords and monitors I can't help but want to rip them all out of her and carry her home. There's a tube down her throat to help her breathe. I see they left her ring on her finger, though I can spot splotches of blood on it still. I lose it then and there, standing over what was supposed to be my future wife. I choke on a sob, lacing her fingers with mine. Squeeze my hand. Her hands are cold, as usual. "You won't remember me when you wake up, Kaori..." I trail off, trying to speak through my tears and shaking voice. "But you're the only woman I'll ever love." I squeeze her hand tightly, putting it to my lips. "All I've ever wanted is for your happiness... I never thought I'd have to go to such a length for that though." I kiss her cold, frail hand and reach my other hand to brush her hair back from her face. My fingers trail her jawline, some of my tears dripping onto the blanket that covers her body. "You've made my life so bright since the day we met... I hope someone will do the same for you later on in your life, Kaori." I slide the promise ring off of her finger, twirling it in my hand. "I'll never forget you." My voice has become a shaky whisper, and it seems the tears keep coming. "I promise." I kiss her forehead, sniffling as I put her ring in my pocket. I sigh, trying to compose myself. I wipe my eyes and open the door. Midorima puts a hand on my shoulder. "You're still sure about this?" I roll my eyes. "Yes. Let's do this." He nods. "When this works, she'll probably sit up straight and start gagging on the tube. So we'll need to book it out of here before she sees us, okay?" He asks, making sure I understand. I nod. "We'll tell the doctors we were visiting when all of a sudden she woke. Easy enough?" "Yeah." I grow more nervous now that he's actually going through with it. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he stands over Kaori. His hands hover flat over her body, his eyes shut as he breathes steadily. Kaori's body starts to lurch upwards on the bed. I take a step back, not sure if I want to keep watching. But I can't look away. Her hips raise up off of the bed, then back down. It's as if someone tied a string to her and lifted her up. She lies still now, and Midorima gets inches from her face. He whispers a few words before standing back. Kaori sits up straight in the bed, and Midorima grabs my arm as monitors begin to beep incessantly. Doctors are already running down the halls towards her room when we exit. "What happened?" A nurse asks as doctors flood the room. "I-I don't know, she just.. Woke up." I say, trying to hide how nervous I am. I peer around the corner enough to hear her voice. "Where am I?" She asks. I want to run in there. I want to hug her and tell her exactly where she is and what happened... I want to feel her embrace. Something hits the back of my head. Midorima threw a cup from one of the medicine carts at me. "Let's go." He mouths. I follow him reluctantly. Where do I go from here? ***** Adjusting to life without Kaori is one of the hardest things I've done. I had to unfollow her on everything, delete every picture of her on social media, and inform her parents that when she woke up, she didn't know who I was. I couldn't tell them what really happened, so I made up a lie that they seemed to believe. As for my career, I play for the Cleveland Caviliers. I still go to watch Kaori play in college, although she doesn't recall me, I watch every single game. She's still so amazing at softball. I put her ring on a chain and it hangs on my mirror in my bedroom. I have not taken off the watch she bought me since the day she gave it to me, only to shower and sleep. Sometimes I contemplate if I made the right choice. Would she have lived if I hadn't? I'm sure she wouldn't have. I still can't help but grieve. I would give up every tomorrow I have to be able to relive one memory with her. I want to relive the first moment we kissed. I want to relive the moment I realized I was in love with her as she danced in her kitchen cooking dinner for the two of us and as she sang along to her favorite movies, High School Musical. I didn't care for the movies at all, but seeing that smile on her face was enough to make me want to watch them with her until the day I died. I wonder if she still loves watching them. I wonder if she still loves to sing and dance, and if she still scrunches her nose in disgust when she smells onions, or when she tastes something she doesn't like. I would give up anything to relive a moment with her. Not only did I lose someone I was going to marry, but I lost part of me. I'm not sure if I can be the same if I have to live with every single memory of Kaori, while she lives her life never knowing I existed. She doesn't know that I love when she wears blue, because it brings out her eyes. She doesn't know that I love how she says my name in the morning, when she's still waking up. And more than anything, she doesn't know that my heart will always belong to her.

[paigewritestrash-blog]

Terrible Things - Kagami Taiga x OC

This is my first post on this account woo! This au was inspired by the song Terrible Things by Mayday Parade.

Warnings: angst

"By the time I was your age, I'd give anything To fall in love truly, was all I could think That's when I met your mother, the girl of my dreams The most beautiful woman, that I'd ever seen." Another usual and exhausting day at practice. Or so I thought, when I saw her walk in with coach. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and it stopped at the middle of her back. Her bright green eyes caught me off guard, and I had to do a double take. She's gorgeous. I feel a sudden pain in my head, and the basketball bounces to the floor. "Kagami-kun, what is your problem?" Kuroko asks. But he follows my gaze to the girl, and sighs. He jabs me in the side. "Go talk to her." I punch him in the side. "No way! Who do you think I am?" I cry out. She's out of my league. The thought of talking to her makes my stomach do flips. I've never been this nervous, not even during basketball games. "I'm too nervous, anyways." I sigh. Kuroko wears a small grin. "That's a shame." I raise a brow. "She's coming over here." Kuroko pats me on the shoulder and smiles. "Good luck." "Oi, Kuroko! Wait-" He walks over to Kiyoshi, leaving me a sweaty mess as the beautiful girl walks over to me, wearing a smile that makes my heart race. "Riko tells me you need help learning how to use your left hand." Her voice is like music to my ears. I can feel my face getting hot. "Um, y-yeah, I do." I scratch the back of my neck nervously. She smiles. "It's nice to meet you, Kagami. I'm Felicity." Her American accent slips through when she says her name. "You're American?" I ask. Felicity nods. "My dad and I moved here in middle school." She picks up a basketball on the ground and spins it on her left hand index finger. "I played a lot of basketball there." She winks. "Thus why I'm going to teach you to use your left hand better." Felicity dribbles the ball and then dribbles it back and forth between each hand. She then turns to face the other half of the court from where we stand, at free throw line. She shoots with her left hand, yet I can't watch the ball. I can't take my eyes off of her. 

"She said, "Boy can I tell you a wonderful thing? I can't help but notice, you're staring at me. I know I shouldn't say this, but I really believe, I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me." Now, son, I'm only telling you this Because life can do terrible things."

She looks at me and flashes me a smile. My heart flutters and I feel hot. "Can I tell you a wonderful thing?" She asks. I nod, not sure what to expect. "I can't help but notice the way you're staring... I know I shouldn't say this, but I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me." I think my heart stopped beating completely. My face is burning up and I can't say anything. Felicity simply smiles at me again, her cheeks red too. "It's okay if you are. I don't mind." She winks and runs off to the other side of the court to get the ball she shot. I run my fingers through my hair and heave a sigh. Get it together, you're being too obvious. I'd be lying if I said Felicity isn't a good teacher. She made me play a game of one on one only dribbling with my left hand, which she dominated me at. As she predicted, that made me work harder. By the end of the night, even after everyone had left hours before, she had taught me how to switch hands in the air when I dunk. "You did great today!" Felicity exclaims. "Once you learn something, you perfect it very easily." She takes her hair out of her ponytail and shakes it, her long hair flowing to the waistline of her skirt now. I give her a shy smile. I can't stop staring at her. Every time I look at her and then look away, I want more. I can't help but be entranced by every movement she makes. Every word that comes out of her mouth is beautiful and I have to tell myself to snap out of it before I become a flustered mess. No one has ever made me feel this way... "Thank you." I say. "It helps when I have an amazing teacher, too." Her cheeks get red and she smiles. "Since I worked you pretty hard, what do you think about me buying you dinner?" I smile. "Dinner sounds nice. But you don't have to pay." I can't make her pay for my meal, what kind of gentleman would that make me seem like? I may not be good at romance, but I do know that the guy usually pays for the girl. Or at least that's what I learned watching romantic comedies with Alex. "Now, most of the time we'd have too much to drink And we'd laugh at the stars and we'd share everything Too young to notice, and too dumb to care Love was a story that couldn't compare."

After that night, we went on many dates afterwards. After our sixth date, we shared our first kiss, and I determined in that moment, I wanted to marry her. I wasn't one who cared about any of that, but Felicity... I want to call her my wife. And I will one day. We lay on our backs on her roof passing back and forth a bottle of alcohol. She's more of the smoking type, but due to the basketball team's drug tests, I can't. It takes a lot for me to get drunk though, and Felicity is what most would call a lightweight. Although, I don't need to be under the influence of anything to feel good when I'm around her. When she says my name, I feel at peace. "Taiga, what would you do if you won the lottery?" I think hard. "I could eat anything I wanted... And I could have all the shoes I wanted, too." "Shoes and food, that's all you care about?" She laughs. "And you, of course." I say. The longer we date, the more comfortable I get with flirting and being romantic. She moves her head to lay on my chest, and I wrap an arm around her. "If I won the lottery... I'd buy a beautiful house. One with a basketball court, a big, indoor pool..." She trails off. I can hear the smile in her voice. "I'd buy a really nice car. But one I can drive all year around, of course." She stays silent for a minute, thinking. "Oh! And I'd want my house to be fit for children." "Hm, you want kids?" I ask. I've never thought about having children, seeing as I'm only seventeen. I guess girls are different. "I do." She sighs. She doesn't have to be looking at me to tell what I'm thinking. "Don't worry, Taiga." She lets out a small giggle. "I don't want them anytime soon." Her index finger trails up and down my chest lightly. She takes a gulp from the bottle and sits up to straddle my waist, sitting on me. "I love you." Felicity smiles with her words. I know she's drunk, but I guess a drunk mind speaks the sober truth. "Saying it just makes me feel so good. I love you, Kagami Taiga!" She shouts, thrusting both hands in the air. She flops forward and her face is inches from mine. "I. Love. You." She kisses me after every word, and it makes my cheeks turn red. I laugh and swallow hard. I'm slightly buzzed, making this easier to say. "I love you, Felicity." A smile spreads across her face and she hugs me tight. She doesn't let go, she just lays on me with her arms wrapped around me. I don't question it and wrap my arms around her, too. In that moment I hold her as tight as I can. I don't want anything to happen to her. "I said, "Girl, can I tell you a wonderful thing? I made you a present with paper and string. Open with care now, I'm asking you, please. You know that I love you, will you marry me?" Now, son, I'm only telling you this Because life can do terrible things You'll learn, one day, I'll hope and I'll pray, That God shows you differently."

It's the fourth quarter of the winter cup championship game. I'm a third year now, and after this, I'll retire from basketball. After high school I'm going off to school in Tokyo with Felicity. She wants to be a teacher, and I want to become a professional basketball player, and the best player in Japan. This game is going to determine my future, and I feel the pressure as the opposing team continues to score on me. My jumps can overpower them, but it's hard when their players won't even let me jump. After walking back onto the floor after a time out, I hear a familiar voice from the silent crowd. "Kick their ass, Taiga! I believe in you!" My girlfriend waves her arms in the air, wearing a giant smile. That easily brings a smile to my face as I give my team mates one last look before taking my place on the court. The thrill of winning the winter cup again is enough to make me overflow with joy. But when I see Felicity running down the halls to congratulate me, I could burst with happiness. I feel the box in my pocket shift as she jumps onto me, wrapping her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. I hug her back with as much force as she uses. "I'm so proud of you! Congratulations!" She smiles wide down at me and gives me a sloppy kiss, grabbing my face in her hands. "That last play you made, oh my God!" She exclaims. I'm not sure why, but when she watches me play it makes her... Excited. I set her down on the floor and intertwine my fingers with hers. "I know just how to celebrate. I'm treating you to dinner, and you can order as much as you want." She smiles up at me, swinging our arms as we walk. "Felicity, you don't have to-" "Taiga, don't argue, okay? You deserve this. Treat yourself." As we walk the box in my pocket keeps nagging at me. I'm so happy in this moment, I don't want to wait... I was going to do this tomorrow, but I can't help myself. I stop walking, causing Felicity to give me a confusing look. "Is something wrong?" "Of course not. Can I tell you a wonderful thing?" I let go of her hand and swallow hard, pulling the box from my pocket. Her face twists into a smile. I hand the box to her, which she stares at. It's wrapped in a bow that took me a tedious amount of time, and tries, to tie perfectly. "This was supposed to be for your birthday tomorrow, but I can't wait." "Taiga..." She whispers. "Open it with care, because I'm asking you, please," I wait for her shaky hands to open the box and reveal the ring inside before I get down on my knee. "You know that I love you so much," I try to speak strongly, but my voice falters with my nerves running wild. "Will you marry me?" She doesn't speak, she just nods rapidly through her tears and pulls me to my feet to hug me so tight air escapes my lungs. My heart still beats rapidly as I put the ring on her finger. "Oh, Taiga. You just made my night- No," She shakes her head. "My... My life! I'm so excited, we don't have to rush a thing. I'm just so happy to wear this! It's beautiful-" She talks a mile a minute, her hands around both of my arms, squeezing me tight. "I love you so much, fiance!" Felicity stands on her tip toes to kiss me. I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer to me. This moment is one I've only thought of a million times... Being able to say that I'm going to marry this girl, it makes me so happy words can't explain. Tears are welling in my eyes just thinking about this. My life at this moment is perfect, and I couldn't ask for anything better. "She said, "Boy can I tell you a terrible thing? It seems that I'm sick and I've only got weeks. Please, don't be sad now, I really believe, You were the greatest thing that ever happened to me."

It's been about a year and a half since we graduated high school and went off to college. We may have had a change of plans... Instead of going to school, Felicity agreed she would stay home to raise our child. She hasn't been feeling well lately, though, so the three of us bundled up to face the cold winter weather and go to the doctor. I was forced to stay in the waiting room while she got the results. Our son sleeps soundly in carrier, and I lay my head back against the wall. I hope it's nothing serious... That's all I can think about. When the door opens, I shoot my head to look to my wife, so wears a straight face. "Can I tell you a terrible thing?" Her voice is almost a whisper. My heart stops. I don't want her to say anything else, but she does. "It seems that I'm sick and I've only got weeks... Please don't be sad," She rushes over to me to cup my face in her hands so I look her in the eyes. Her face is blurred with tears that have already formed. It feels like someone dropped a two hundred pound weight on my chest and it's making it hard to breathe. "You are the greatest thing that ever happened to me." I shake my head, biting my lip. "Taiga, it'll be okay..." I shake my head again, sniffling as tears wet my cheeks. I bury my face into her torso, clutching her shirt as I let out muffled cries. "Taiga, please... I love you." Her fingers run through my hair and she rubs my back. "Let's make the most of this month. Do that for me, please?" She asks, her voice shaking as she sniffles. I nod, letting go of her to finally look at her face. I take in everything about it I can. Her beautiful black hair and sad, green eyes that usually twinkle with life. "Of course." I manage. "Let's go home." "So don't fall in love, there's just too much to lose If you're given the choice, then I beg you to choose To walk away, walk away, don't let her get you. I can't bear to see the same happen to you. Now, son, I'm only telling you this Because life can do terrible things."

I finish my story, sitting across the kitchen table from my son, who's now thirteen years old. He's asked me for years about her, and at first I ignored it, and told him I'd tell him when he got older. "So is mom in Heaven?" He asks with tears in his eyes. It breaks my heart to see him sad, but after years of giving him short answers, I realized there is no better time than now. I want him to know his mother, as I did. Remembering her as she was when we were together, it brings back that hole in my chest I felt the day she told me she was sick. It aches and makes it difficult to breathe. I nod, biting my lip. "She is. And you know where else she is?" I ask. "Where?" "She's in our memories, too." I bite my lip and exhale shakily. "She's watching both of us, and she's always with us. Remember that." He nods and gives me a small, reassuring smile. "You don't have to feel sad now, dad. It's just like you said, she's watching both of us. Plus, you always have me. We're a family." His red eyes seem solemn. My sadness has affected him all of these years. I give him a sad smile. "You're right." I sit back in my seat and heave a sigh. "I'll try to be better from now on. For you." The dull ache in my chest isn't as dark and brooding. She's always with us.