"Stay with me."

Baby, stay with me

Tonight don't leave me alone

It had been a year since he had asked Akira to stay with him. A year since he caught her confessing to herself. A year since she tackled him to the ground and poured her heart out to him. Their relationship hadn't changed much since then. She was still as violent as ever, hitting him with pots and pans, punching and kicking him relentlessly for God only knows what. He never took it to heart, though. It was her quirky way of expressing her love to him. She wasn't the kind of woman to look him in the eyes, hold his gaze, smile, and say, "I love you." She dreamed of things like that after watching a movie or reading a novel with those types of characters.

He would sit through those movies and watch as she fawned over the leading male, going on and on about how romantic he was, and she always dreamed of being that one, special girl. The girl that he would always chase after, the girl that always held his heart. He would always find her, always be there, and he would pin her to a wall, completely getting her attention, and confess all of his unspoken words of love to her. She would always smile and cry, feeling so lucky to be so cherished by a man. And then they would kiss. They all had some sort of plotline like that. It was the same with those romance novels, too, only there were no pictures.

He always tried to ask her about it, why she would never let him treat her like that. She got all defensive and said that she had never once stopped him from treating her like a princess. Then he would bring up all of the occasions where she shot him down and she simply stated that he was doing it wrong and that if she could tell where he was going with his ideas, she wouldn't interfere with his attempts at romance. Of course, he never knew the right way to tell her that he knew of no other way to go about such a thing.

But this time - oh, yes, this time - he had it all figured out. He was going to let their morning and afternoon pan out however it wanted to. He invited her over early in the morning and cooked her breakfast, and she, of course, ate it while trying to stop herself from throwing up. He was just like Hikari when it came to cooking, but she wasn't going to be rude when she knew he spent the entire morning preparing it especially for her. However, she did insist on being taken out for lunch.

So they ate and hopped on his bike to go for a ride. He stopped at the marketplace and parked, letting her drag him into whatever store she pleased. He insisted on paying for everything, knowing full well she'd try and buy out every store. He carried her things, waited for her to try on whatever outfits she wanted, and let her drag him around the entire marketplace until she was satisfied. Then after lunch, she insisted on going to see Hikari. Although not refusing her, he did make her promise to keep their visit reasonably short. He had his own surprise for her, after all. She whined at first, but stubbornly agreed.

And, of course, seeing Hikari meant seeing Kei as well. He was always with her, still teasing her and still beating her at everything. They didn't act much like a real couple either, what with all the competitions and lack of couple-type-stuff. You never saw them hold hands, hug, or kiss, or anything unless Kei initiated it. Hikari and Akira were very similar in that department. They both enjoyed seeing and reading about those kinds of things, but they never let the men that were supposed to be their Romeo's do any of them. It was a very confusing thing.

So after she glomped poor Hikari and threatened to mercilessly destroy Kei if something bad were to ever happen to her, it was time for them to leave. They got back on his bike, currently overflowing with shopping bags, and drove off. After being on the road for awhile, Akira realized that she had no idea where they were going. Breakfast, shopping, lunch, that was all planned out, but now... It was too early for their date to end, but she didn't know what was going on. She tried to ask him, but he just smiled his goofy smile and kept on driving. She would have put her fist through his face right then and there if he hadn't been driving so fast.

So she enjoyed the ride, her embrace around him never faltering as she took in the sight of the city. The evening lights were beautiful, but she still thought nothing could compare to the way they glowed at night. No, no sight would ever be as beautiful as the night he took her to the top of the city and let her stare down at it. Noting would ever be as beautiful as watching all the lights zoom past her on her way home with him. It just couldn't be.

So when they finally arrived, it was dark. All of the pretty lights were out and Akira looked back at them before turning to face Tadashi. He had a smile on his face as he held out his hand for her. She looked at him confusedly, but took his hand as he led her through some doors into a house of sorts. He flicked on the lights and waited for Akira to recognize where they were at.

"The villa? Why are we here?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

She gave him a questionable look as she mulled over what his intentions might be. Of course, that stupid and innocent look he gave her told her there were no such perverse thoughts going through his head. So she looked around again and started going toward the stairs. She went up and opened the bedroom door and let her memories of last time come rushing back to her.

She sat on the bed, facing the balcony doors, and watched as the city lights danced over the ocean water. She had the perfect view of both the calming beauty of the serene ocean and dazzling glimmer of the city lights. It was gorgeous, but she couldn't bring herself to stand outside and enjoy the view even more. She just felt like it wouldn't be right to go out there alone. She was missing something, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Tadashi had brought her along with him and his family to stay for the weekend, so she wasn't surprised when he knocked on her door.

He walked in and saw her staring outside and then ran over and flopped down on the bed next to her. She jumped and hit him with the nearby pillow. He laughed, not surprised at all by her reaction, and watched as she started laughing, too. It was a rare moment to see her acting this way and it warmed his heart. He waited for her to regain her composure before asking her how her night was going.

"Oh, it's fine. This is a really beautiful place."

"Yeah, Mom and Dad really picked a good time to come out here. The weather is perfect, it's been nice and sunny all day, and the nighttime view is to die for."

"Yeah..."

He watched as a longing look took over her face and saw that it was fixated on the balcony doors. He could tell she wanted to go outside, but couldn't figure out why she didn't. So he leaped off the bed, came around in front of her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her outside. She protested at first, but was overcome with awe as she rested her other hand on the railing. It was a totally different experience than just seeing it. The lights sparkled in the background, but the moon gave the ocean its natural light and shine. She could hear the waves crashing on the close by shore and smell the water as it filled the air. It was so much more than she thought it would be that she questioned herself as to what she had been hesitating for.

Then, when she felt him letting go of her hand, that's when she knew. She didn't want to be out here without him, and not just him, himself, because he was still here, but he had to be holding her hand. This sort of a view - this kind of experience - was meant to be shared with someone important, and he was oh, so very important to her. She always had trouble telling him how she felt, but he knew it by the way she grabbed his hand and squeezed it while looking away. She had a faint blush on her cheeks and that's all he needed to re-lace his fingers with her.

So it was no surprise to him to see her walk back over to the balcony doors and stop short of opening them. Even after all this time, she couldn't go out there alone. So he walked up behind her, put on arm lightly around her waist, and opened the doors. She blushed furiously, almost ready to turn around a lash out at him, but she was stopped by the view. It was the exact same view that she remembered, and she found herself once again holding onto the railing and looking out at it. She thoughtlessly went searching for his hand, only to be brought back by the feel of both his arms around her waist and she could feel his body heat as he hugged her from behind.

She felt very out place, for this wasn't like either of them. Tadashi was never this romantic, she couldn't help but think, but them she remembered all of his previous attempts. Yes, the ones she said he went about the wrong way to present. She knew the whole time what he was trying to do, but was too embarrassed to let him go through with them. It wasn't that she was ashamed to be his girlfriend, she actually felt like the luckiest girl in the world, but there was just something about public affection that startled her. Then again, she never let him do it privately either. And as much as she was enjoying this, her stubborn nature got the best of her, and she quickly ripped his arms from her and turned to push him away. It wasn't violently, mind you, just hasty and clear embarrassment was written on her face. But this time he refused to let her spoil his plans.

Oh, I'm not sure what this is gonna be

But with my eyes closed all I see is the skyline through the window

The moon above you and the streets below

"Akira."

He had both of her wrists enclosed in his gentle hands as he looked her in the eyes and begged her not to push him away. With her face still bright red, she took deep breaths and tried to calm herself, not sure why she was so worked up anyway. She knew that she wanted this. She wanted to feel Tadashi's arms around her, to feel his hand holding hers, to feel like all of those women she wished she could be. She never really stopped to think about why she got so flustered when he tried to be her Prince Charming. All those women in the movies blushed, smiled, and embraced their partners, and then leaned in for a passionate, loving kiss. She wanted to be that calm and accepting, but it wasn't in her nature.

But now that he had her, now that she was being forced to stay put, she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to fight him, didn't want to pull away from him. Her mind told her too, told her not to let him boss her around, but her heart knew better. He wasn't being bossy, he was just begging her to give him a chance. So she took another deep breath and waited for him to make his move.

She watched as he released her wrists and placed one hand on her hip while the other cupped her cheek. He let his thumb brush over her soft features and he gazed at her with those mesmerizing eyes of his. The ones that were usually filled with happiness and life were now overcome with love and tenderness. It was so corny, but it gave her the true feel of being one of those women. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her while planting a kiss on top of her head. And now... well, now it was time to put his plan to the test. Not only did he want her to let him being the romantic guy she wanted, but he wanted to get the reaction that all those women gave. He wanted her to blush cutely (not furiously like she was), look deep into his eyes, close hers, and lean in. Oh, God, how he wanted to see her ask for a kiss.

Hold my breath as you're moving in

Taste your lips and feel your skin

She gently pulled away from him and looked at him. She could see the want in his eyes and she realized she was in the exact scene as that woman from the movie they saw last week. Out on the balcony, perfect ocean view, and he comes up behind her, wraps his arms around her, and then they share a beautiful kiss. It was as if he wanted her to relive that scene. Little did she know that he didn't even remember that movie and that this was just mere coincidence. He only wanted to take her to a special place and see that same look on her face when they went outside. Only this time, you know, he wanted to take it a step further. He refused to settle for just holding hands.

She somehow managed to tone down her blush and keep her gaze locked with his. It was as if she was trying to read his mind, and succeeding at it, because now that she had the cute blush, she was looking deep into his eyes, and before she could do anything about it, they closed. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly out of nervousness, for she had never experienced anything like this. She'd only ever dreamed of moments like this, but here it was happening to her in real life!

Electricity shot through her as one of his hands left her hips and settled under her chin. He titled her head upwards so he could clearly see her face. Her bangs fell lightly on her forehead, her eyes were gently shut, her skin was soft to the touch and glowed radiantly in the light, and her lips... her perfect, pink lips were just waiting for him. They were perfectly glossed and calling out to him, just like the rest of her. Now he was the one being overwhelmed. She was always beautiful and always would be, but the way her face looked right now made him want to capture the way she looked at this very moment. He had never wanted anything this bad. So, tired of making her wait, he traced his thumb over her lips and then leaned in.

When the time comes, baby don't run

Just kiss me slowly

It wasn't just electricity, but fire, too, that coursed through him. He felt lightheaded as she kissed him back. She felt the exact same way, never realizing how powerful Tadashi's kisses could be. If this was going to be how she felt every time their lips connected, she'd hardly every get to kiss him! She had only ever let him kiss her cheek and this must have been why. Her knees buckled and gave out from under her, but his hands instinctively caught her and he swiftly lifted her up and set her on the balcony railing without missing a beat. He let one of his hands remain on her hip while the other quickly went to the back of her head to hold her in place. There was no way in hell he was going to let this kiss end so quickly. Even though she hadn't thought of leaving him just yet, the fact that he was forcibly stopping her made her feel even more like those women in the movies and books.

When they both decided it was time to come up for air, he only let so up so much pressure from the back of her head. They both panted heavily, faces still only centimeters apart, as they stared back at each other. Both of them were blushing and both of them knew that they felt the "sparks' everyone was talking about. They were real, alright. She leaned into him a bit more, unconsciously going in for another kiss, but he caught her off guard, yet again.

"Stay with me."

His voice was low and husky, something she had never known he was capable of, but nodded her head anyway. After a kiss like that, she wasn't going anywhere for quite awhile.

"O.K."

It was all she muttered before he pulled her head closer and kissed her again. The electricity and fire came back, still strong as ever, and this time she had the sense to wrap her arms around him as well. She decided that if this was how he was going to make her feel, she was going to have to work on getting over her fear of romantic affection. After all, she couldn't be this swept off her feet in public, now could she?

"A/N: Ah, I love this couple! They're so cute! I really hope you guys enjoyed this story, I tried to keep these two in character as best I could. I had so much inspiration for this that I was going to explode if I didn't write it. I just bought the complete collection for Special A today, and I made an AMV, and I watched a bunch of AMV's, and then I re-watched the scene where Akira confesses to Tadashi, and then I read the line "stay with me," and I was done. I got hit with a million tons of bricks worth of inspiration. So, yeah, this is what my little brain came up with. I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me a review. The lyrics are from a song called Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute, hence the title. They're an amazing bad, so I highly suggest you listen to them, and especially this song. It's so beautiful. Anyway, thank you for reading, please be sure to review and let me know if I should keep writing for this pairing."