[One-shot] 10年後の君へ (Part 2)
Title: 10年後の君へ / To you, 10 years later
Author: shiroikazex
Pairing: Hikaru x OC
Genre: Angst, romance
Rating: G
Summary: AU. A sequel to this short songfic, " The One That Got Away". Never-ending wedding preparations forces them to meet time and again. More than she could handle. She's slipping. Bad.
Note: This may end up more than 4 parts, oh noes.
Part 1
She stepped into the lobby of the hotel, feeling immediately out of place in her office clothes. Trust Shizuna's family to pick one of the most expensive hotels in the city to hold the reception. She was brought up to the 65th floor in a lightning fast elevator that left her ears hurting. Attendants opened the heavy double doors to the ballroom for her and she stumbled past them with an awkward nod.
"…Oh my god."
It was an amazing venue to begin with, but it was now decorated appropriately for a wedding reception with ivory satin sashes on the support pillars and bouquets white roses attached to them near the top of the pillars. There were tables set up with matching tablecloths and flowers on them. She was just beginning to count them when her name was called.
"Kana! You made it!"
Shizuna waved her over from where she stood by the wide, spanning windows of the ballroom. Takaki freed a hand from her waist and gave a friendly wave too. Hikaru's eyes met hers and he nodded with a smile.
"Hi, sorry I'm late. Hello okaa-san," she greeted Kana's mother as she approached.
"Before you say anything--" Shizuna broke away from Takaki's hold and pulled Kana to the windows that lined the entire curved wall. "--look!"
She gasped at the view. Metropolitan Tokyo spread out below her, doused in dizzying lights from skyscrapers. She looks towards the sparkling lights on Tokyo Sky Tree and held back a smile.
"I don't know how you managed," she said as she looked over a similar view, years back. "I mean, Tokyo Sky Tree? Dinner? On Christmas day?"
"I have my ways," Hikaru grinned from across the table.
"How many months in advance did you have to book this?"
He shrugged and devoured a piece of steak from his plate. "Damn, this is good."
"…How much did everything cost?"
He shrugged again, this time with a grin. She laughed.
"Close your mouth, it's gross."
…
"Thank you, though. Merry Christmas."
"….and all the horror stories about companies messing up were untrue! I mean, this is perfect!"
Kana snapped back to reality and nodded as a response to Shizuna's rambles. She shook off the feeling that Hikaru knew exactly where she had been looking at, moments ago.
"What do you think, though? I want your honest opinion. That's why I had to have you here today, Kana, you were always the one who noticed details."
She cast one last look around the ballroom. Everything was bathed in the warm light from the chandler and spotlights around the perimeter. "Romantic" would have been an understatement.
"I think it's perfect."
"I'll send you home--"
"It's fine," She shook her head. "The trains are still running. You should get some rest."
"You can stay in the guest room--"
"I have work tomorrow, dear."
"I'll take her home."
She froze at Hikaru's offer.
"You guys head back. Must be tired after a long day."
Takaki raised his eyebrows, but did not comment. He wished them good night and headed to Shizuna's family limo with Shizuna and her mother. They pulled out of the driveway of the Roppongi hotel. She turned to Hikaru.
"I'll take the train."
"Naw, come on. My bike's in the parking lot. Let's go."
It was almost comforting to be leaning against his back again. They speed through traffic and for a moment she felt at home. For a moment she let herself slip. Just one single moment. Her arms tightened around his waist.
The helmet hid face well. He bit down on his lower lip and gripped the handlebars harder.
She hopped off the instant his motorcycle came to a stop in front of her apartment complex. He removed his helmet and looked up at the small, 6 story building, clean white walls and loft windows and all.
"Nice place. Better than the last one."
"Back then, I had no money," she chuckled. "Now I have a teeny bit."
"What are you working as again?"
"I did some writing in Europe for a Japanese publication and saved some money up. Right now… My sempai from university got me a job at his publishing house. I'm writing for some luxury travel magazine now. It's not bad, I guess, especially with all the things I've learned by listening to Shizuna."
"Cool."
The fall into an awkward silence, until she realized she was still holding on to the spare helmet.
"Oh here--"
"Right."
He took it from her and stowed it away.
"When can I see you again?"
"S-Sorry?"
"I mean," he rubbed the back of his neck, a tell-tale sign that he was nervous. "You could tell me when you're coming by the cafe again. I'll get some people to come in, people who do music you like."
"That's nice but um…"
"Have you changed your mail address?"
"No, it's the same one." He heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank god I didn't delete it then."
Her chest clenched suddenly.
"Well, I'll be at Shizuna's place this weekend because she wanted to show me her dress before the ceremony…"
"Ah, I'll be planning Takaki's bachelor party with Kota, Kei and Daiki," he chuckled. "You remember them?"
"Yeah, I do, how could I forget?"
"…You could come by the cafe for dinner after work. I'll make something personally."
"Hikaru, thanks, but I'm busy--"
His surprised expression caught her off-guard.
"You just called me Hikaru."
"Oh. Oh I'm sorry--"
"…I don't mind. I mean, you feel less like a stranger now," he smiled. "I feel like I recognize you again."
She looked down at her feet, not knowing how to reply. He cleared his throat.
"So, dinner, cafe, remember that. Email me. I didn't change my mail address either. Do you still have it?"
"I do."
"Great," he slid the black helmet back over his head and adjusted his leather jacket. "I'll see you… sometime this week then. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
As he turned the bike, she called out.
"Hikaru!"
He turned and raised the visor on his helmet.
Do you want to come upstairs for coffee? I have some European blends you might like. Have a chat? If you're not busy I mean--
"…Nothing. Be careful on your way back."
He did a thumbs up with a goofy grin and sped off.
Author: shiroikazex
Pairing: Hikaru x OC
Genre: Angst, romance
Rating: G
Summary: AU. A sequel to this short songfic, " The One That Got Away". Never-ending wedding preparations forces them to meet time and again. More than she could handle. She's slipping. Bad.
Note: This may end up more than 4 parts, oh noes.
Part 1
She stepped into the lobby of the hotel, feeling immediately out of place in her office clothes. Trust Shizuna's family to pick one of the most expensive hotels in the city to hold the reception. She was brought up to the 65th floor in a lightning fast elevator that left her ears hurting. Attendants opened the heavy double doors to the ballroom for her and she stumbled past them with an awkward nod.
"…Oh my god."
It was an amazing venue to begin with, but it was now decorated appropriately for a wedding reception with ivory satin sashes on the support pillars and bouquets white roses attached to them near the top of the pillars. There were tables set up with matching tablecloths and flowers on them. She was just beginning to count them when her name was called.
"Kana! You made it!"
Shizuna waved her over from where she stood by the wide, spanning windows of the ballroom. Takaki freed a hand from her waist and gave a friendly wave too. Hikaru's eyes met hers and he nodded with a smile.
"Hi, sorry I'm late. Hello okaa-san," she greeted Kana's mother as she approached.
"Before you say anything--" Shizuna broke away from Takaki's hold and pulled Kana to the windows that lined the entire curved wall. "--look!"
She gasped at the view. Metropolitan Tokyo spread out below her, doused in dizzying lights from skyscrapers. She looks towards the sparkling lights on Tokyo Sky Tree and held back a smile.
"I don't know how you managed," she said as she looked over a similar view, years back. "I mean, Tokyo Sky Tree? Dinner? On Christmas day?"
"I have my ways," Hikaru grinned from across the table.
"How many months in advance did you have to book this?"
He shrugged and devoured a piece of steak from his plate. "Damn, this is good."
"…How much did everything cost?"
He shrugged again, this time with a grin. She laughed.
"Close your mouth, it's gross."
…
"Thank you, though. Merry Christmas."
"….and all the horror stories about companies messing up were untrue! I mean, this is perfect!"
Kana snapped back to reality and nodded as a response to Shizuna's rambles. She shook off the feeling that Hikaru knew exactly where she had been looking at, moments ago.
"What do you think, though? I want your honest opinion. That's why I had to have you here today, Kana, you were always the one who noticed details."
She cast one last look around the ballroom. Everything was bathed in the warm light from the chandler and spotlights around the perimeter. "Romantic" would have been an understatement.
"I think it's perfect."
"I'll send you home--"
"It's fine," She shook her head. "The trains are still running. You should get some rest."
"You can stay in the guest room--"
"I have work tomorrow, dear."
"I'll take her home."
She froze at Hikaru's offer.
"You guys head back. Must be tired after a long day."
Takaki raised his eyebrows, but did not comment. He wished them good night and headed to Shizuna's family limo with Shizuna and her mother. They pulled out of the driveway of the Roppongi hotel. She turned to Hikaru.
"I'll take the train."
"Naw, come on. My bike's in the parking lot. Let's go."
It was almost comforting to be leaning against his back again. They speed through traffic and for a moment she felt at home. For a moment she let herself slip. Just one single moment. Her arms tightened around his waist.
The helmet hid face well. He bit down on his lower lip and gripped the handlebars harder.
She hopped off the instant his motorcycle came to a stop in front of her apartment complex. He removed his helmet and looked up at the small, 6 story building, clean white walls and loft windows and all.
"Nice place. Better than the last one."
"Back then, I had no money," she chuckled. "Now I have a teeny bit."
"What are you working as again?"
"I did some writing in Europe for a Japanese publication and saved some money up. Right now… My sempai from university got me a job at his publishing house. I'm writing for some luxury travel magazine now. It's not bad, I guess, especially with all the things I've learned by listening to Shizuna."
"Cool."
The fall into an awkward silence, until she realized she was still holding on to the spare helmet.
"Oh here--"
"Right."
He took it from her and stowed it away.
"When can I see you again?"
"S-Sorry?"
"I mean," he rubbed the back of his neck, a tell-tale sign that he was nervous. "You could tell me when you're coming by the cafe again. I'll get some people to come in, people who do music you like."
"That's nice but um…"
"Have you changed your mail address?"
"No, it's the same one." He heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank god I didn't delete it then."
Her chest clenched suddenly.
"Well, I'll be at Shizuna's place this weekend because she wanted to show me her dress before the ceremony…"
"Ah, I'll be planning Takaki's bachelor party with Kota, Kei and Daiki," he chuckled. "You remember them?"
"Yeah, I do, how could I forget?"
"…You could come by the cafe for dinner after work. I'll make something personally."
"Hikaru, thanks, but I'm busy--"
His surprised expression caught her off-guard.
"You just called me Hikaru."
"Oh. Oh I'm sorry--"
"…I don't mind. I mean, you feel less like a stranger now," he smiled. "I feel like I recognize you again."
She looked down at her feet, not knowing how to reply. He cleared his throat.
"So, dinner, cafe, remember that. Email me. I didn't change my mail address either. Do you still have it?"
"I do."
"Great," he slid the black helmet back over his head and adjusted his leather jacket. "I'll see you… sometime this week then. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
As he turned the bike, she called out.
"Hikaru!"
He turned and raised the visor on his helmet.
Do you want to come upstairs for coffee? I have some European blends you might like. Have a chat? If you're not busy I mean--
"…Nothing. Be careful on your way back."
He did a thumbs up with a goofy grin and sped off.