How Did I End Up With Them? (OHSHC)

Fairy Tale Come True

Kaoru held me tightly, whispering into my ear and rubbing circles on my back, soothing me until I was nothing but limp in his arms, exhausted from sobbing my heart out. He didn't offer any words of advice, just held me there until I calmed down, and that was all I needed. I needed a comforting hand and he was there, like always. He was the Wesley to my Princess Buttercup, and not once did I regret showing him that film.

It was in the middle of one of our work sessions in his mom's design room. I told him that we needed a break because I was going to collapse. He joked that he'd catch me if I fell. And in a blunt manner I asked, "Do you like me?" Kaoru had said, with a straight face, "Yes."

We didn't go further than that because my face was bright red. He had a fond smile on his face, smirking when he realized I'd gone quiet.

"What's up, Chi, didn't like the answer? Or did you?"

I couldn't take it and covered my head with my hands, hunching over onto the table embarrassed. "Stoop, please," I whined, dragging out the words.

He laughed lightly and ruffled my hair affectionately. "It's okay, it's okay, it can stay between us."

I peeked out from the makeshift cover I'd made with my hands. He was standing back over at his designated spot his mom had made for us, working intently on a concept his mom had asked him to create. I was quiet for a while, just watching him work. The concentrated look in his eyes was always inspiring to me, the way he could lose himself in his work. Hikaru could never, he got bored and would run off to do something else; sitting still was never his talent. But Kaoru, he had a knack for patience.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" I asked suddenly. I felt bad bothering him but we'd been working or two hours now and he deserved a break. He looked over with a confused expression. "I've been wanting to get you to watch this one film, it's called The Princess Bride."

"Never heard of it."

"Well, it's great. I really want you to watch it." Uncharacteristic of me, I got all quiet, waiting to hear his response. If he liked me...then maybe it wouldn't be so bad. "You can ask Hikaru if he wants to join too?"

"Nah," he said instantly, "he'll be fine. He's playing his new game."

I blushed, hard. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

He'd come closer and now we stood inches apart again. He had a spattering of a blush, but nowhere near as bad as mine. He grabbed my hand and led me to the living room downstairs, trying to make conversation to lighten the heavy mood that had fallen over us.

The film was magical, one of my favorites. My heart fluttered once I saw Kaoru paying extra close attention. He cared and that was all I could ask for.

The minute the movie ended, Kaoru jumped up with renewed energy and started to quote the ending, fresh in his mind. I busted out laughing as he tried his hardest to recall the words, ultimately faltering when he saw me dying on the couch. He looked down at me, smiled, and said, "Well, Buttercup, what do you say to dinner now?"

I took his stretched out hand.

I couldn't love someone more than him. It was a love that only a young girl could have, unaware of the world, innocent and pure. I knew that. Even so, I couldn't fathom letting it go for my future. But I knew I had to.

Realization hit me like a truck: I had to choose Osaka. I couldn't stop my life for love. It's my first love, a young love. We have the rest of our lives for love. I can't abandon opportunity. My mom always told me opportunity knocks three times in your life. She'd say, "Take them before they're gone." And I knew I had to take this chance when it was offered.

The snot was dripping down my nose and couldn't do anything but take short panicked breaths because of the words I was about to say, the truth I had to confess.

"I'm choosing Osaka, Kaoru. I'm choosing college right now. But I want you to know: I love you. I love you so much. I love how you scatch at your neck when you're frustrated and how your grin in always wider on one side. I love how you ruffle your hair half-asleep." My voice cracked and I fisted my hands, cursing the world for my luck. "I love how you walk with compassion, aware of everything around you!" I cried. "I love how sympathetic you are to everything. I just love you, all of you. If I could spend forever and a day with you, I would, in a heartbeat. But I have to do what's best for all of us right now. I want to be successful enough to come back and have a future with you. I just love you, Kaoru, and I'm sorry if this makes me a coward, I really am. Just know those three words: I love you."

Kaoru was crying, the glint of the tear tracks marring his complexion and making his cheeks redden with frustration and sadness and words he couldn't say. He reached out to me and grabbed me, interweaving his fingers in my hair and grasping at me like I was about to float away.

It was a desperate reach for a girl that was floating away already, fading at his fingertips.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. The pain was tangible in his cracking voice and it broke me to my core to hear such a heartbroken tone. It killed me. "I'm sorry I couldn't say it sooner. Chiyo, I love you."

I held back a sob as I covered my mouth with my hands. I felt my knees buckle and if he weren't supporting me, I'd have collapsed. This scene was all too reminiscent of us months ago by now, and I couldn't control the shuddering breath I took to steady myself.

"God, Chi, I love you more than a friend, than any friend, than my brother, you broadened my world, Chiyo. Thank you. I can't ever say that enough."

We held each other like we were dancing, so close our breath mingled and we took in shuddering breaths together to calm our bodies. It felt like I'd run a marathon at full-speed and my heart couldn't quite catch up. It was a dance of star-crossed lovers, destined for each other, but it wasn't written in the stars to happen at that time. The stars weren't aligned, the planetary system was pushing us apart, the gravitational pulls shoving us back the minute we got closer.

Kaoru sniffled then, leaning back only slightly, inches away from my face. He said, "'Life isn't fair, it's just fairer than death, that's all.'"

I chuckled despite myself, wiping a hand under my nose with the edge of my shirt. We looked awful, rightfully so. But the Princess Bride quote was enough to wisen me up to what we had to discuss.

"I love you."

"'Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.'"

I laughed, a devasted, heart-wrenching laugh in spite of the scenario, blessed to have Kaoru recite The Princess Bride for me, to have him ease my pains like always. My heart would mend in the years we'd be apart, of that I was certain. My heart just had to take a little beaten right now.

"God, I love you, Chiyo Naotosuta."

"I love you, Kaoru Hitachiin." I smiled fondly. "It feels good to say that."

"Same here."

We sat in silence again, hearing the bell ring in the distance. We ignored it. There was nothing that was going to break our concentration on each other. The afternoon sun bounced off his eyes, reflecting against the golden flecks of his eyes.

He started to lean in and I followed. It was straight out a fairy tale. It wasn't like with Hikaru at all. This was sweet, full of love and appreciation, a fondness of each other. We smiled right before our lips met, a knowing look in our eyes that this might be one of few times we were gifted the opportunity to kiss, and we sure as hell were going to take it.

It wasn't fireworks or fire or a blizzard. It was just magic. It was every fairy tale wrapped into one of Cinderella finding her Prince Charming, of Sleeping Beauty waking up to her prince, of Snow White awakening with a kiss. I felt my cells liven at the touch of Kaoru. Life felt right again. It felt like I could tackle anything and still manage to be happy, because I had him.