@TWILIGHT@
A Monogatari by Hikari.
E-mail:
Rated: PG-13
Chapter 8:
With a sure hand, he picked up the receiver, cutting
off the annoying ring of the phone. "Moshi-moshi?"
"Ohayoo, umm..." It was a woman's voice. "Is Sagai
Kaoru-san there?"
"You're speaking to him... Hanako."
He heard her started gasp. "How... how did you know
it was me?"
"I- " His eyes lowered onto the three-legged round
table the phone was placed on top off. His lips curving into
a sour/sad smile. "I'd recognize your voice anywhere."
There was a moment of silence before Usagi could bring
herself to speak again. Her heart ached with remorse, but
she had to do this... she had to fix what she had screwed-up.
'Remember,' she told herself. 'This is all for Mamo-chan.'
"Kaoru-san, I wish to speak to you in person. I have a very
interesting proposition to make to you."
"Alright." He said, noting the change in her voice
from that of a sweet girl... to a professional businesswoman.
"When and where?"
"At the hotel you're staying at. I can be there at
five o'clock today."
'This is too weird.' Kaoru thought. "Ok, I'll be here."
He immediately heard Usagi sigh in relief. "But first, answer
me this: How did you know I was at this hotel?"
She cleared her throat as she prepared herself to lie,
"Fubioka Satoshi-san informed me on where you were staying."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Four o'clock at the park. There was no better time
to be there if you were with the person you loved. 'But not
today.' She thought. 'Any day but today.'
Mamoru lowered his head to look at her face. "Are
you alright, Usako?"
She lowered her eyes from the lake to stare at his
arms. They were wrapped around her waist tightly and as she
laced her hands on top of his, caressing his skin with her
soft fingertips... she thought. 'In a couple of hours, I will
lose the privilege to be within his embrace.'
He felt the tightening of her hands on his and began
to worry. "Usako, are you sure you're alright?" He spun her
around to face him. "Come on. Let's go back to the apartment
and I'll fix us dinner."
Untangling herself gently from his arm, she took a
step back. His eyes were filled with worry, but she could
not explain... he would soon find out. "I'm sorry Mamo-chan."
She began, savoring what would probably be one of the last
times she'd be allowed to call him that. "I can't. I have
an appointment tonight that I can't miss." Usagi brought
her hand up and traced the curve of his jaw. Then, standing
on tiptoes, she placed a light butterfly kiss on his cheek
and turned to leave.
"Wait." His hand had launched out to stop her by
grabbing her wrist. He swiftly reeled her in, placing one
arm around her waist- the other holding her face steady.
He looked into her eyes and lowered his lips to hers.
Her moan was a cry of rebellion against what she was
fighting not to feel. And the urgency with which he was
kissing her struck fear into her thoughts. For a moment,
she felt as if he knew that this might be their last kiss.
As if, he knew, that he might never be able to forgive what
she was about to do.
So, for what would be the last time, she gave into
her feelings and let the sensation of Mamoru's lips on hers
ignite the fires that lay beneath. His hands tracing on her
body the known pattern that he usually traced over with his
lips every night. Every night... but tonight, and the nights
which were to come.
She felt a drop of water hit her cheek and thought
it had begun to rain. Still kissing Mamoru, she opened her
eyes and looked at his face. That little crystal water drop
was not rain... it was a tear. His eyes were closed shut
in a pained expression as the tears ran from his eyes, down
to his lips. She could taste their salt... their sadness.
That was when she too began to cry.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At five o'clock sharp, Usagi stood at one of the many
blue doors of the Kakurega Hotel. She was on the fifth floor
and in front door number 504 just as Suzuki Makoto-san had
told her. "Well," she took a deep breath. "This is it."
~Ding*Dong~
"Konbanwa, Hanako-san." Kaoru said, bowing slightly
after the door had opened.
As he raised his head, Usagi almost gasped in shock.
'He's changed!' His dark-green eyes were glazed over with a
cold crystal-type expression making them appear a light
green/gray. The angles on his face seemed sharper, almost
older. "Kaoru-san..." She whispered.
He moved inside. "Come in." Then, pointing to a chair
said, "Sit down."
Usagi entered and closed the door behind her. As she
turned, stopping to look around the room. There was a simple
queen size bed at the far right end of the room, next to the
window. To the left, two arm chairs and in between them, a
wooden three-legged round table with a black phone. It was
one of those cheap hotel rooms, but then, what did she expect
when the name of the hotel was the "Hideout."
She sat in the chair he told her to, then, asked him
to sit across from her. "What I came here to tell you, was
this:" She licked her lips in a nervous reaction as she stared
at the white linens on the queen size bed. "I will sleep
with you if you return to your apartment and treat Mamoru-san
as if nothing between you and him had ever happened."
To be continued...
===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== =====
How's THAT for a clifhanger?!
Well, write to me and tell me if I should even bother writing
up the next chapter.
JYA NE! -> Hika-chan ;P
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