STORIA D'AMMORE (A Love Story in Rome)
SUMMARY: HIKARU/OC. "I let my guard down and fell in love with you, idiot," he had said. Love is something time and place couldn't change.
DISCLAIMER: I'm kinda tired of doing this. Blah. Blah. Blah. You know the works.
A/N: mylife'sboat beta-ed this one again. Listening to "Everyday" of High School Musical. Dunno why so don't ask. My OC's name is once again 'Aki' because aside from it's meaning, it's short (and not a mouthful). READ ON!
INIZIO:
Aki was pretty sure she was still asleep when she heard a faint tap against a glass window so she ignored it. After all, dreaming was always like that: when you don't mind shit, it would eventually go away.
But as the tapping continued, she groaned desperately. Damn that tapping sound!
"Pst. Aki!" a low voice preceded yet again another annoying tap and without hesitation, she jumped out of her feet in one swift movement, strode to the window and earnestly wrapped her fingers around the throat of her intruder, choking him with an evil sneer as the poor guy coughed meekly.
"Do you know what time it is? It's three in the morning, you annoying fart!" she yelled as she pulled her grip away, convinced that she had done enough damage to punish him for waking her up at three a.m. after her two glorious hours of sleep.
"Hush, kept it down will 'ya?"
"What do you want, Hikaru?"
"It's your last day in Rome right? Wanna see the first light of Roma?"
"I don't think the bloody sun would crawl up at three in the morning just because you told it to."
"It's not just that. We could sightsee!"
Hikaru was fighting his urge to laugh, careful, in case she'd strangle him once more. The humor on her blood type wasn't intended but it was dreadfully spiteful coincidence that she had the same blood type as Kyouya-senpai and Hani-senpai. The curse of the AB-type people was getting more and more convincing at the moment.
"What is to see at three a.m.?"
"Come on!"
And with that, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her out of the window. When she trashed around, Hikaru grabbed her waist and hoisted her up. Taking advantage of her shock, he dropped her on the passenger seat of his Porsche and started the engine, speeding his was forward to the heart of the town.
---
Hikaru toyed with his pencil which obliged at every movement of his slender fingers as he swirled it over and over. He wasn't listening to his Math teacher, all right, as he gave his focus on the chestnut-haired girl in front of him who was humming a familiar tune muffled enough so the teacher wouldn't hear.
It had been about five days since she entered Ouran High School, and exactly six days since she arrived in Japan but Hikaru had not heard a single word from her about their short romance back in Rome. He didn't know what to make of it—if it was just a simple affair that when she got back to Germany, they would be over or if it was a simple friendship that he just considered as something far more. But what was with the kissing, the exchanging of e-mail addresses and mobile numbers, the relentless promises that they'd call each other and keep in touch (that never actually happened)? He didn't understand at all. And for the last week that she reappeared, his mind has been bombarded with a lot of questions. It was giving him a headache.
Aki turned her head. She had a weird feeling that she was being glared at and when she spotted Hikaru with a grimace on his lips as he stared at her, she was convinced that her instincts were never wrong. He was giving her the creeps. She turned her eyes back to the board and opened her notes to copy what sensei had diligently written down so his efforts wouldn't be so wasted.
When the bell finally rang, she quickly packed her stuff and chattered happily as she waited for Haruhi to finish up. Luckily, she had made a new friend and Haruhi as a commoner and a girl (which her instincts told her) made her all the more enthusiastic about having her as a new buddy. She was also one dangerous otaku, also obsessed with commoner's antics. When Haruhi has finally finished with her things, she caught up with her and they both made their way to the cafeteria.
---
Hikaru watched her silently as Aki talked animatedly to an obviously drained Haruhi: she had been chatting up since both girls settled on a small round table and Haruhi seemed dead bored. He didn't even notice his twin brother occupy the seat beside him and babbled on about how busy he was watching the brunette for over days already.
"Hikaru, you're not listening to me," Kaoru whined when he noticed his older brother was occupied once again, by the new student in their class. She was Aki Arkwright--half German and half Japanese, according to Kyouya-senpai's records. They owned a billion-dollar car business corporation in Berlin and she was one popular magazine-cover model. But in years he had known Hikaru, he couldn't tell what was with the girl that attracted him. He was so drawn to her that he was always distracted. Anyhow, he couldn't fire to ask what the hell was wrong with him.
Kaoru merely shrugged as Hikaru paid no attention to him. He even ignored his own meal as he watched her chew the bit of food she had taken in. Her eyes wandered aimlessly around and for a split-second, their eyes met. And Hikaru felt--that with just one moment--everything had fallen back into place.
Three months of not trying to reach out, three months of no form of communication, and here they were, sitting inside the same cafeteria, eating lunch, at the same school. It was somehow hard to believe. It was impossible.
---
The engine rumbled in complaint and prompted to a halt, leaving both of them speechless and surprised.
"Oops, it broke down," Hikaru stated the obvious as he made no move to get out of the car and fix something that was broken. Hell, he was a Hitachiin and not a damn mechanic.
Aki remained frozen on the passenger seat and after a couple of seconds, laughed out loud, clutching her sides as her mirth pulled out. They were both rich brats, having no idea on how to fix a Porsche, stuck in some unknown road with no mobile reception and signboards. In a matter of short words, they were stranded in the midst of nowhere.
"What's so funny?"
"I guess we have to walk?"
---
"I thought you said "we" would walk. Not me, carrying you on my back," Hikaru had complained after Aki gave up on taking the road by feet and proceeded to jump on his back as he paced the long road.
"But my heels hurt," she whined. She had thrown her shoes somewhere and she wasn't wearing anything to protect her feet. So Hikaru was left without a but to compel with her demand.
"You're supposed to be a model," he had to remind her. And in case she had forgotten, she was supposed to be used to wearing high-heeled shoes.
"That's why I quit," she announced happily as she played with Hikaru's hair for slight amusement. And Hikaru just had to sigh in defeat.
After several whinings and "Ah! Don't put me down," later, they had reached yet another unknown town with, luckily, human-looking crowd and not cannibals as Aki had suggested. Indeed, cannibal movies are not good for your imagination.
Hikaru sat her on the bench of a footwear shop and left her momentarily. When he got back, he was carrying a pair of comfy sneakers. When they got up to the counter, Aki had to yell in surprise when the cashier told them they weren't accepting credit. Fortunately for both of them, Hikaru was carrying a couple of bills and they were able get past the shop without having the need to run for their lives.
They passed through a couple of more shops and without fail; Aki did not leave each one of them without bringing out some unnecessary stuff. Their money was running short and it was getting dark so they really have to get back.
After another set of whines later, Aki had jumped in behind the truck as they were hitched back to city.
---
Hikaru's hands were both pinned against the wall, just beside her head, holding her captured. He had finally cornered her after class, pulling her inside an empty classroom and deciding to talk to her in private. He even skipped club activities just for this and he would surely receive an earful from Tamaki and another from Kyouya who would definitely get onto his nerves once again.
"What?" she finally asked after a long, pregnant silence. Hikaru's staring was enough, and he was starting to bear holes all over her body.
"Why "what?" What do you call that—whatever happened to us in Rome? Was it all a joke?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she evaded as she looked away from his eyes. But he captured her jaws with both his hands and forced her to look at him.
"Look at me," Hikaru gazed down her amber eyes. "When you walked away that day and left me in the lobby of that darn airport, I was at lost. Everything had fallen out of place and my life was in a bloody mess. I couldn't stop thinking about you. Your face just came popping out of my head every time I hear your name and I feel all the same when you kissed me. I let my guard down and fell in love with you, idiot."
Aki wound her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her so their faces were in a proximate distance. Hikaru breathed in her scent, further intoxicating him with it and drowning him down to a pool of his own senses.
---
They were both standing in front of the gates, gazing at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. She was going back to Germany and he would be going back to Japan. Two worlds apart. She would go back to her business school and he would gulp in her mother's sermon for suddenly running away. He'd study how to handle Kaoru's whining later.
"Flight 2250 for Germany… We're calling all passengers. Please proceed to the gates…"
"So, we're parting." Aki gave her wry smile. She didn't want this to end.
Even though they've exchange contact numbers, everything would always be uncertain.
"Yeah, bon voyage—I guess." He looked away embarrassingly and ran his hands at the back of his head.
She gave a low chuckle. "Idiot."
She fisted the collar of his shirt with her knuckles and pulled him down to her face, his lips pressing against her in perfect timing. Hikaru responded immediately, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer, enjoying her warmth. He nibbled down her lower lip and she obliged as he indulged her taste with his own mouth. She was warm, soft and sweet—a perfect combination, without a doubt. If he'd know how she would taste like, he would have done this earlier.
Aki removed her desperate clutch on his shirt and proceeded to wrap her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss and lifted her off her feet. He smiled on and slowly pulled away, brushing his nose against her own. "I'll call," he had said. "I promise."
Aki brushed her lips once more against his smile as he set her down to her feet. "Wiedersehen."
"Sayonara."
---
Hikaru has lost his cool. His patience has been consumed as he pushed her against the wall and savored her taste once again with his mouth with much passion that he could muster. She was kissing him back, with the same pace he was going with as their tongues danced together in perfect synchrony.
His hands traced down her waist and pushed himself harder against her, trying to get more of her warmth. And she was running her hands all over his hair, messing it unconsciously. She wasn't aware of what she was doing, really. All she knew was that Hikaru was there with her, kissing her and driving her to the edge of insanity.
Their lips parted as Hikaru trailed kissed down her jaw line and to her neck. She was how she smelled like—sweet and invigorating, drugging him to the end of his world. Hikaru captured her lips once more and parted at once, giving her a soft peck on the forehead. They were panting slightly, trying to catch their lost breaths and soothing their hearts to calm down. Aki dug her head against his chest and Hikaru compelled with a tight hug as he buried his face against the crook of her neck, blowing kisses against her soft skin.
"You belong with me," Hikaru declared as filled his nose with her scent once more.
"I guess I've fallen in love with you," she finally said. "Somehow."
"Somehow?!"
FINIRE.
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