Authors Note: Written as therapy for myself after I finished the series. Warning: angst! One shot. I don't own the characters of course haha.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Beautiful Creatures

-------------------------------------------------------------

He recognized the dress first.

It was white and flowing with bold black lines on the skirt and a black knot around the waist. He couldn't see the collar or the sleeves because someone was in the way.

Beautiful he thought. Then he thought it looked familiar. Then he realized that it was one of his.

At once the memories came flooding back, so thick he could smell it. He closed his eyes. Underneath his eyelids the sounds of the old-fashioned sewing machines came to him, the cramped spaces for the legs under the table, the movement of the safety pin through Arashi's lips, Miwako's eyes closed in laughter with her lashes standing out on her cheeks, the smell of Isabella's stews, and…

When he opened his eyes again the crowd had parted and she was smiling at him from across theState Theatre lobby.

Beautiful.

The way she had always looked when she wore the dresses he had made for her. Yukari. Her dark eyes deepened with that special smile he remembered, the delicate collarbone, the proud neck holding up the queenly little head with its abundance of rich, dark hair.

As he was now, with international supermodels at his fingertips, he could see the drawbacks that he could not have picked up so many years ago. Not tall enough, not skinny enough, the sweep of the bones of her face bearing the testament of her maturity.

But there was still something about her that thrilled his entire body so that even his fingertips tingled. Something that partly her as in relation to the appearance she made now: the way she smiled so radiantly at him, the tilt of her elegant head. And something was wholly the memory of herHe saw now the patterns and passions of his adolescence, the half-formed mess and brilliance of the fledgling youth that had somehow become what he was today. Again he saw the spark that she had ignited in him, what they had created between them, brilliance, and with Arashi, Miwako, Isabella as she was then as well, all of them together.

It thrilled him. Yukari. Paradise Kiss. Yazawa Academy. The old studio. Yukari.

"George."

She had reached him now, had tired of waiting for him across the room. Just the same as always, Yukari. "It's so good to see you. I've missed you." She was standing before him.

He smiled. Then he gathered her in his arms.

There was no resistance, no stiffening of shock. She had grown in her own skin.

Soft and pliant, the exact same body he remembered. She let him embrace her in that long, unbroken moment. And together they shared that old memory while around them in the lobby of the State Theatre, the other patrons floated in some other world that had nothing to do with them.

Then there was a soft pressure against his shoulders and obediently he released her. She was still smiling her deep secret smile. She was serene and collected.

Well of course. They were no longer in love. He had almost forgotten.

"Your make-up is running Yukari," He told her critically. "How could you run around in my dress looking like that?"

Her eyes widened and her hands flew to her face. "What? Really? I was crying in the musical but…! Oh!"

He was laughing at her. She shook her head, "You're just the same George, you're incorrigible! I can't believe that's the first thing you said to me in ten years!"

He stepped back some distance from her, bowing so he could kiss her hand. "It's wonderful to see you, my beautiful Yukari."

She shook her head in mock affront in the air and raised her nose in the air, as though not accepting his apology. "Please. And you looked so surprised to see me as well. Did you forget that you sent us tickets?"

George smiled his enigmatic smile. It made her breath catch in her throat. That much about him hadn't changed either. She had never been really able to completely understand him.

George was saying, "Speaking of which, where is he?"

"He went to the bathroom," Yukari replied. She looked thoughtful then and pressed her gloved hand against her lips. "Oh dear. I wonder if he got lost?"

They laughed together. There was a silence.

Yukari said hurriedly, "And Isabella? Is she well?"

"She's perfect," George said. "Doing well."

"Is she still making the patterns for your designs?"

"Yes. She was here a moment ago. She'll be sorry to have missed you."

Another silence. Then George asked, "And Miwako and Arashi? I heard they got married. And they had a child?"

"Yes," Yukari nodded. "They have a daughter. Erika. We're all terrified she's going to turn out looking like Arashi, even Arashi himself!"

They both laughed. Silence again.

Yukari looked at the ground. She felt it deep in her heart that if she didn't speak now, he would bow and leave her, and walk into that world that she couldn't share. A long time ago he had taken her into his world and made the white and blacks of her world into brilliant, exploding colors but now too much had changed. Too much time. He had moved beyond her. She could no longer follow him.

A moment longer, she prayed. Just a little more selfishness.

There was nothing else to say but the truth. "I thought that if I didn't see you today, then I might not see you again ever."

He looked surprised, as though he hadn't thought about it. "Why's that?"

She was still smiling but found she could no longer looking at him. "I never made it. I meant to surpass you but I couldn't. It's strange for me to talk to you like this even. You fit this big wide world that you've become part of. Well I guess you make me feel small that's all!" She said the last bit grumpily, afraid of the emotions coloring her voice, trying to make light of it.

She looked at him then. He was regarding her thoughtfully.

"Yes. It's been a long time since we shared the same world, Yukari."

The words made her heart break, just a little. There was no more to say. But he did not move away. They stood close together in the crowd and it occurred to her that maybe he too did not altogether want to let go of that dazzling past that was created anew when they saw each other.

But almost as ordained, a voice called out, "George!"

Yukari looked up to see a beautiful young woman, exquisitely made up, emerging from a crowd of admirers. She was coming towards them. The past was dissipating away in a thousand brilliant colors but George was looking at her, still.

Yukari said softly, "I lied you know to myself. I said I wanted to surpass you. I didn't. I just wanted to reach where you are." She shrugged. "Well there, I've confessed." It did feel a little lighter, after all.

The young woman had reached them and caught George's elbow, staring at her curiously. "Whose this?"

Yukari recognized the dress of course. Even if she had never seen it before she knew who had made it. But the girl was staring at her guilelessly, obviously not seeing what she saw. Not a rival then!

The ridiculous thought made her laugh, restored her to cheer.

"Another old girlfriend?" The girl was asking George with narrowed eyes.

George was still watching her. Yukari looked back at him with her eyebrow raised, wondering what he would say.

"This is Hayasaka Yukari," He said at last. His eyes were still fixed on her. "My eternal muse."

And all of a sudden she found she was crying. She clapped her hands over her mouth and smiled through her watery tears. She heard Tokumori's voice behind her but she couldn't turn around yet, not yet, not when George was still looking at her.

He shook off the hand on his arm and came towards her again.

"I have to go," He said very gently, as though he was afraid of hurting her.

She nodded. "Of course."

He grinned then. "I was going to ask you to kiss me again for old time's sake. But alas, your husband is watching."

She laughed then and wiped the tears away from her cheek. "Bend down." She said. He was surprised. It made her smile. Then she raised herself on her toes, tilted her head, placed both her hands around that beloved face, closed her eyes and kissed him gently on the forehead.

Then she released him and took a step back. He was smiling at her ruefully. Was it because she couldn't see clearly through her tears or were his eyes watery as well?

"Goodbye George."

"Farewell Yukari."

One more look at him. Just a bit more selfishness.

Then she turned her heel and walked – not ran – into Hiroyuki's waiting arms.

The old world was gone, but she would make the new one just as beautiful.

-------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Thanks for reading! I was thinking of writing a longer reunion fic, but I'm not even sure if Yazawa has left enough room for it to happen. What do you think?

Anyway please review and tell me if you found the ending of Paradise Kiss as excruciatingly sad as I did!

Isabell