Hey sweets! I've just wanted to say that this One Shot was only RE-POSTED for those who haven't read this fic yet. I know it's not that great but I think it is good enough to satisfy your craving for any Chiaki-Nodame fluff cravings. So here it is and once again, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nodame Cantabile.

Title: At a Time Like This

Characters: Chiaki Shinichi / Noda Megumi

Summary: Chiaki didn't expect that a time like this had to come.

He never knew that a time like this would come.

There he was, standing on the very bridge where he and Nodame had a scandalous fight almost four years ago, because of some petty reasons that both of them still didn't know what the cause was.

It was like, back on that day except that she didn't hold any signs of attacking him instead; her composure was weak and fragile.

Her chocolate eyes were wide and sparkling as some tears were threatening to pour out, her cheeks were all red and her mouth was half open. He knew that she didn't know what she was going to say, after all, he was sure that what he just said to her would make her very surprised. Shocked indeed.

Chiaki Shinichi stood there in front of her, unmoving like her. Sweat started to bead on his forehead and his palms were already getting slimy despite of cool air brought by the upcoming winter. He never knew that a time like this would come because he was perfectly sure that his life with her, as of the moment, was already okay, he just didn't know why this needed to happen.

Nodame was the epitome of chaos, and bore signs of breaking down at any moment. She brought all of this with her at every place she was in and unlucky for him, it was always where he would be at. The disaster could get used to, well, if only not for the music she conveyed when he inspired her. It was so good to know that her music sounded better when he was around. He knew that he had this effect on her and better.

But really, the music was not the only grounds why he wanted her to stay close, by his side. The real reasons were… not clear and unknown.

He just found out that one day, all the things that seemed impossible in regarding her with him were now happening one by one everyday and he couldn't do anything about it but to watch everything that was happening flash before his eyes.

Before, making a charitable chore was the most annoying thing, not to mention the disturbing things he always did for her. Cleaning her apartment was the most pathetic thing, and the most pathetic reason was the fact that his eyes couldn't afford to see such a filthy place… to think that a musician like him lives in there! Making her food was one of those pathetic chores but he was afraid that if he didn't do it, the woman will die of hunger and those illnesses that she got from the garbage room and he would be the one to blame because he was the only person close to her. That was an excuse, well at first it wasn't, but now, there was an appropriate reason. He cleaned her apartment because it was warm and comforting to see some of her things scattered on the floor and tell him that she was still normal, nothing to make him worried about. It was not so charitable anymore because doing this deed made him feel that this is an obligation he needed to do as a boyfriend. He knew that he wouldn't let anybody know that he already admitted it to himself. Cooking her food once questioned his mind of why was he doing it for her? He thought that it already grew as a habit, but now, he cooked food for her so that he could watch her eat healthy food. Not some junk she used to buy when he wasn't around. If before, he made dishes out of what was in the fridge, now he chose ingredients that were nutritious. It's something he can't help to do for he cared for that certain mongoose woman.

Before, he was convinced that her scent would never allure him even if she bathed a hundred times. The woman was nothing like his type, so he knew that a simple clean smell wouldn't make his standards break. But now, as she accidentally slept in his couch or on his bed, Chiaki Shinichi couldn't help but deeply inhale the remnants of her scent lingering on his bed sheet or pillow. Her scent had this relaxing element that made him sleep soundly with no nightmare bugging him to wake up.

Before, she clinging into him so much was another one of the annoying things she often did especially when people around them saw it and started to talk about it. It was embarrassing because harsh as it was, he didn't want anyone he knew to know that he was hanging out with an unsystematic woman like her. But now, the feeling of her skin getting closer to his was a shocking sensation that made him feel electrified and thrilled. He never knew that a day would come when he couldn't help but hold and keep her closer to his frame. She was always confused when he did that but nonetheless, she wasn't reluctant to tighten the hold and bring themselves much closer to one another. Another thing that he found comfortable, and he didn't care if all the people in the world saw it.

He had already kissed many girls and all of them tasted the same. They tasted like lipstick.

Before, one of the things he hated most is when she did steps of an attempt to kiss him. No, no way he was going to kiss a girl like her! She didn't bathe, wore the same clothes for days, and that ugly fish pout always remained on her mouth! There was no way he was going to kiss a mouth like that! Unless of course, things turned the other way around. Her hygiene had already improved since the time they arrived at Paris and certain times come when he imagined what it felt like when he kissed her, now that she was always clean. Of course, that day came but unfortunately it hadn't been a good start since he was shoved away from his apartment because of a petty quarrel. But her taste lingered on his lips. Her lips didn't taste like lipstick like all the girls he used to kiss, hers was sweet and minty. The mint flavour must've come from the toothpaste but the sweetness was unexplainable. This made his thoughts go for it over and over again, and now, whenever he got a perfect excuse provided by some occasions, he always planted one on her lips but still couldn't get enough of that minty sweetness that came with inevitable ecstasy.

All of this came in to his life when Nodame found him sprawled by her apartment door on that faithful day. When all of this crashed through his door, he made a violent protest but the woman was much stronger as she destroyed all the walls he made so she wouldn't get through. The time came when he stopped complaining and accepted it all. He realized being with her and her wreaking havoc was already clear and the warmth and tenderness of her presence was already okay.

But he never knew that things would stop being okay.

A tear already slipped from the corner of her eye and he wanted to frown, to react but his veneer shouldn't be ruined. That's the least thing he could do for himself because he too was as fragile as she was right now.

He watched her as she closed her mouth, then opened it again, and then closed as another tear came out from the other eye. She blinked a few times to prevent the upcoming tears that were threatening to pour.

Shinichi pursed his lips to stop the quivering. He shoved his hands inside the pockets of his coat and clutched the thing inside it. His hands couldn't help but tremble.

She looked at him straight, eye to eye, and he saw that she wasn't successful on holding back those tears. Finally, she spoke.

"Are you sure Sempai?"

Shinichi could hear his heart thumping hard and he was afraid that it would jump out of his chest any minute now. He stared at her and then bowed his head downward before speaking.

"I would never joke about things like this, Nodame…"

This made her eyes go all wide. He slowly looked at her again to find her face, and then his cheeks heated up when he saw her face.

Tears slowly poured from her eyes but it was continually. She put a hand over her mouth, he thinks she was trying her hard to muffle the sob.

He was alarmed and he was ready to lift his hand to reach her when she turned her back to him and took a few small steps.

"Nodame?"

He silently screamed, frustrated. Where the hell is this woman going?

And then, Nodame jumped in the air, startling everyone that is passing by the bridge.

"Mukya! He finally proposed to me!"

She leaps around and as for Shinichi; he was standing there shocked before the embarrassment got through his veins and skin.

"He's going to marry me!" she leaped higher while saying those words.

The latter, Shinichi, abruptly but carefully held her shoulders from behind to stop the monkey jumping she was doing.

Turning her around, he hissed at her.

"Don't make such a fuss!" he quietly told her while looking around to see if she got too many of people's attention.

After travelling his dark eyes around, to his relief, found only a few people staring and wondering at them, his gaze turned back to Nodame again only to find that she was crying silently with her eyes closed and cheeks reddened.

"Nodame?" he called uncomfortably.

The fear of the possibility that she might have not liked the proposal or not liked the idea of getting married to him started to invade his mind.

But what was he thinking? This girl claimed to be his wife even before she got proposed to and now that the opportunity presented itself to her, it was her nature to not object or go against it. She even crossed the line of her proposing to him! So there's no – there will be no- valid reason for her to reject his proposal!

Right?

"O-Oi!" he stammered, "Why are you crying? Don't you… want… to get… married… to me…?"

He was sure he sounded stupid by now, what with his nervous tone and stammering words. But what could he do? The girl might reject the proposal and that would be disenchantment, big time!

But before the worried thought got into his head, Nodame shook her head and looked at him.

"No Sempai! I want to! It's my dream! My long time dream… And it came true…" she said in a childish way as her gazes where soft and her crying didn't impede.

Shinichi couldn't help but smile weakly. He never knew that the day would come when he would be so much aware that he actually made her this happy.

And from that moment, he was sure that things would stop from being okay, because…

It was not okay to just clean her apartment when she was gone. It was unfair because the warmth of her presence in the room was always only in her room. He wanted it to be at his terrain too, rather in theirhome.

It was not okay to just smell the string of his pillow or of his blankets just to sniff the remaining scent of hers when she was around. He wanted that whenever he slept at night, her scent would no longer come from the pillow or blankets but from Nodame herself where she would be sleeping soundly beside him.

It was not okay for him to watch her make excuses for her to hold him or cling on to him and watch her go all surprised when he held her back. He wanted this gesture to be normal, to be as comfortable as they could be to each other so the holding and clinging in public will be normal, because they were already an official couple.

And…

It was never okay for him to restrain himself from wanting to kiss her so badly. It was never okay for him to wait for the perfect timing or excuse just to fulfil his aching need of ravishing her lips. He wanted that the perfect timing would be every moment of his life where he can kiss her without waiting for an excuse or depriving himself from not doing so. He wanted to kiss her, everyday, every hour, every minute. Kissing and more.

These were when the things stopped from being okay because he wanted to bring things much more beyond okay.

"Baka…" he whispered with a smile while wiping her tears which were still continuously flowing.

Then he put his hand inside his pocket and pulled out a white gold ring with a light pink diamond on the centre. It shimmered on his hand and it gave an effect of like he was holding a star.

Her mouth opened and before she could take a good look at the ring in his hand, it was already on her finger.

Shinichi's eyes were wide and his cheeks were red. After many months of looking at her hand, fitting it with his and obsessing about it, it all paid off when the ring perfectly fitted her. Perfectly, like it was made for her.

She couldn't talk and say something but it was okay, Shinichi could understand it and no words were needed for him to feel that it was greatly loved and appreciated.

"You looked stupid looking like that…" he joked. Now that his heart and nerves were calmed, he gained back his guts to perform some humour.

Alas, she thanked him with a smiled and a small laugh before she positioned herself and plunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He almost lost his balance but only momentarily as he gained it again. He helped himself by hugging back the young woman as he felt her soft curves pressed on his hard framed that made his nerves and heart go frantic again.

"I love you… I love you so much Shinichi…" she cried happily on his neck.

This was exciting and thrilling. Only a few more months of preparation and she would be Mrs. Chiaki, the real Mrs. Chiaki and not some name she used to claim. Still at this time frame, he couldn't believe that a woman her kind would be that close to his vicinity especially when he knew that he built walls just to prevent such happenings, but that belief was dissolved when he found himself deeply (not that he will say it out loud!) in love with Nodame.

This was it! The semi-peacefulness with her as only a company would have ended and chaos and havoc will replace it now that they will be getting married, but he didn't care, for chaos and havoc was nothing compared to the feeling of excitement, happiness and completeness of having her for good.

At least, his courage in proposing was as good as saying he loved her, but what could be better than saying the word itself?

He lowered his head and moved his lips to her ear.

"I know, Megumi…" he whispered.

And I love you too…

He said to her…

…in his thoughts.

P.S.: That's it! I hope you enjoyed it again! Anyways, Torment is still on going. Yup, unlike What Dreams that Came True Can Do that had unfortunately discontinued. Just wait for the updates okay? I'm a little bit caught up with work, Detective Conan fics and Rurouni Kenshin fic but I will update it as soon as possible, okay?

Still, I love it if you will leave a review.

Thanks again! :)

-Hislips