A/N: Things are about to get a little heated in here…and I don't mean the good kind! XD Thanks to toshirolovr94, Glowing Blue and Kurt Kieser for reviewing! You guys are awesome for sticking with my long-ass series! And just think, after this story we'll finally get to the sequel of "Wasting Your Time." Look forward to it!

Edited 09/11/2012

Not Over You

The moment he was discharged, the girl from his dreams, whom he now knew as Fiammetta Hatsumi, dragged him away from his hospital bed and into the passenger seat of a sleek black sports car.

"You drive?" Even if he knew the girl's father was a doctor, he didn't expect her to have a car. Fiammetta didn't seem like the type to drive. Then again, looks could be deceiving.

She looked at him weirdly. "Yeah. How do you expect me to go to school?"

"You go to high school in a sports car?" He couldn't believe his eyes. This girl arrived in style.

"High school?" There was a slight pause before the girl shouted with glee. "Oh! You thought I was a high schooler?" She laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment. I'm actually in my second year at University of Karakura." There was another pause before she smirked. "Don't tell me you're still a high schooler?"

He mentally face palmed. Of course she was an older woman. Who the hell would let a kid drive? "Y-yeah, I am. I'm actually in the middle of my second year (aka grade 11)."

"That's cool. You're like what, fifteen? Sixteen?"

"Seventeen," he corrected.

"That's not too bad. We're just three years apart." He looked at her curiously, but she shook her head. "Never mind. So where to?"

Oh right. They were supposed to go on a date, weren't they? Despite saying yes, he still wasn't too sure about that. For one, he was nervous as hell, and two, not only was Fiammetta an older gal but her personality reminded him too much of a certain best friend he personally gave away.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Wherever you want to I guess."

"Hm… How about a light lunch at this cute little French café-restaurant I know?" she questioned. "Ever heard of Les Deux Magots?"

He shook his head nervously. "No. Should I have?"

Looking him straight in the eyes, she ignored his question and responded, "Look, Kiyo, you don't have to be nervous."

Kiyomori opened his mouth to deny her accusation but was cut off before he could.

"Oh c'mon! You keep saying you're not ready to date, not to mention you look pretty nervous. Like I said, if you're not looking for a date, then look at this as a friend treating another friend. Fair enough?"

Slowly, he nodded.

"Okay then." Placing the key in the ignition, she turned the engine on and eased out of the hospital's parking lot. "Get ready to experience the ride of your life."

Somehow, Kiyomori felt unsettled when she smirked.

Ω

When Fiammetta parked the car, Kiyomori couldn't be any happier. He still couldn't believe that the girl drove at such an insane speed. If they hadn't reached the restaurant within those first fifteen minutes, he swore he would have been sick. How the hell did she avoid getting caught by the cops anyway?

"Sorry," she quickly apologized. "I didn't think you were squeamish."

"I-it's okay," he replied while opening the door to the café-restaurant for her. Though he looked fine, his mind was still reeling. "I just didn't expect you to drive like that."

She laughed. "Most people don't. But don't worry, when I drop you home I'll be a lot more gentler."

"I'd have to hold you on that, Fia, 'cause next time your car won't be so lucky."

She smiled. "And I'd hate for that to happen to my baby."

When a waiter came to greet them, Kiyomori was surprised to be greeted by that blond boy from the park. Why the hell was he working here of all places?

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Fia and that boy she knocked out." Ren examined the boy carefully before turning to Fiammetta. "So now you're dating the people you hit? Classy, sis."

She blushed. "Shut up, Ren! I'm just paying him a lunch. It's the least I could do after hitting him with a softball."

"Really? And here I thought you finally found yourself a decent boyfriend." He smirked. "The guy seemed pretty protective yesterday."

Mortified, Kiyomori simply looked away and blushed in silence.

She sighed. "Kiyo, this is my oh so loveable half-brother, Ren. Ren, this is Kiyomori."

"I absolutely adore the love you put into introducing me."

"Just ignore him and he'll learn to go away," Fiammetta advised.

"I am hurt, little sister," Ren said in a mock-hurt tone. "You'd think you'd be a lot nicer to me since I am your family."

Ignoring him, she replied, "Can you just show us to a table? I'd hate to complain to the owner about her annoying blond waiter."

He stiffened. "R-right away, Miss Hatsumi." He took two menus and led them to a booth. "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"That's more like it. I'll have a sprite, please," Fiammetta replied. "No ice."

"And I'll have a coke, please."

"Right away, Miss, Sir. I'll be right back."

Curious about their earlier conversion, Kiyomori just had to ask her about it. "Why did Mr. I-love-teasing-my-half-sister suddenly turn into Mr. I'm-waiter-of-the-year?"

She smirked devilishly. "Simple. Our mom owns the restaurant."

"Your mom? Is that why we came here?"

She shrugged. "Pretty much."

"That's cool. I bet you're pretty popular at school."

"Yeah…" She awkwardly looked away and sighed. "Well, it's not all it's cracked up to be."

For a moment, Kiyomori thought he saw a tinge of sorrow in her eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

"But enough about me. You said you were in your second year of high school, right? What do you plan on doing after that?"

He pondered on that question for a bit. In all honesty, he had no idea. Now that his lover loved another, there was no point in following Karin to Tokyo… God, did he just think that? Man was he obsessed. He definitely needed this almost-date.

"I don't know…" He shrugged. "Maybe take a couple of years off and work. I'm not sure what I want to do just yet."

"Really?" Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. It was cute. "Maybe you could work here. My mom's been looking for another male waiter. The last one she hired is annoying."

As if on cue, Ren popped up and brought them their drinks. "You talking 'bout me?"

"Yep." She jabbed a thumb in Kiyomori's direction and said, "Kiyo here said he needed a job. I merely suggested yours."

He scoffed. "As if Mom would let you. She loves me and she'd never replace me. We do need a new dishwasher, however. Maybe you could have him do that."

"She only loves you because you do everything she says, idiot."

"Doesn't matter."

"Ugh, whatever," she mumbled. "Suck-up."

"What was that?"

"I sai—"

Before this mini sibling war got out of hand, Kiyomori quickly interjected, "I've chosen what I want. Could we order, please?"

Ren looked at him oddly before answering, "Sure…"

After giving their orders, effectively forcing Ren to leave, Kiyomori sighed. "What was that about?"

"Oh, that? It's nothing, really." Apparently she still seemed unperturbed by the fight. "Ren and I always do that. It's our unique way of showing our sibling love."

Unique was right. If he didn't know better, he thought a brawl was about to break out.

"You're so cute."

He blushed. Fiammetta thought he was cute?

Fiammetta seemed to have realized her mistake, however, and unknowingly blushed alongside him. "I-I mean what you did was cute, n-not that you were cute. I m-mean you are cute, but not… Urgh!" Her blush deepened and she quickly looked away. "Sorry. Let's just…forget about that, 'kay?"

Wordlessly, he nodded. Although he was shocked by her words, Kiyomori also felt a little hurt when she told him to forget about her earlier comment. But why was that?

"Anyway…"

The door to the restaurant opened and Kiyomori's eyes widened. Out of all the restaurants in Karakura, why did Karin and Hitsugaya have to walk into this one? And since when did Karin wear cute outfits that showed off her cleavage? As far as he knew, Karin never ever wore that kind of stuff.

"Hello?" She waved a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Kiyo? What the hell are you looking at?"

Finally snapping out of his trance, he shook his head and looked at Fiammetta. "Sorry about that. That girl you just saw is my best friend. I've never seen her dress like that, so it was freaky seeing her like that. You were saying?"

She scrutinized him a little before sighing. "I asked if you had any siblings."

"Me? Not really. But I do have a somewhat high maintenance cousin."

Somewhere along his explanation, his eyes couldn't help but follow to where Karin was moving. It was just his luck for his best-friend-slash-kind-of-ex-lover and her boyfriend to sit two booths down from them. Kiyomori had the perfect view of Karin and Hitsugaya, something he wasn't quite pleased about.

He frowned.

"Do you…like her?" she suddenly asked. Though short, her question spoke volumes.

"W-what do you mean?" His gaze was directed back to her. "She's just a best friend, Fia."

"No, she isn't," Fiammetta replied sadly. "I see the way you look at her. It's almost as if you…love her."

Unconsciously, his eyes drifted back to Karin and he saw her laughing with Hitsugaya. Why the hell did he still feel so jealous? He should be having the time of his life, what with him going on a sort-of-date with a beautiful woman like Fiammetta.

"See, you're doing it again."

This had caught his attention. "What do you mean? I'm not doing anything."

Feigning ignorance was stupid, he knew that much, but what else could he do? He got caught looking at another girl while he was supposedly on a date with Fiammetta. Somehow, Kiyomori couldn't help but feel like a jerk and a cheat.

She sighed. "Was she your first love?"

Flabbergasted, he remained quiet and looked away.

By then, Ren had brought them their food and promptly left to take care of his new customers.

"I'll take that as a yes." There was a long deafening pause before she asked, "Do you want to be with her?"

Again, he was silent. Did he want to be with her? Despite saying he was okay with her going back to Hitsugaya, he still felt hurt. Even now, he still couldn't get Karin out of his mind.

"Another yes," she whispered solemnly. "Do you… Do you want me to help you break them up? I mean we're just friends, right? It's not like I actually liked you or anything."

Did he want them to break-up? Of course he'd want to because he still had feelings for… No! What the hell was he thinking? After everything he had just went through, this girl was ready to make him go through that pain again? There was no fucking way!

Kiyomori was angered more than anything now and he gritted his teeth. "Would you just drop it!" he yelled and pounded the table. His action had effectively gotten the attention of everyone in Les Deux Magots. "I gave her to Hitsugaya, okay? I gave her to him because she deserved better! Do you want to throw away all of my hard work?" Without even realizing it, the bishōnen raised his voice and glared at her. "Make me feel pain all over again? Do you?"

Fiammetta seemed scared at first, but after a few seconds, she seemed to have found her voice. "So that's how it is, huh?" she asked bitterly as her bangs shadowed her eyes.

Kiyomori could not believe he had just exploded like that. How could he have been so spiteful towards Fiammetta after she had shown him nothing but kindness?

"Wait, Fia, that's not what I—"

"I don't need to hear your petty excuses!" Fiammetta abruptly stood up. "Goodbye Kiyomori. If you're lucky, we'll never meet again."

As she left the restaurant, Kiyomori sat there in shock. What the hell had he done? After everything she had done for him, cared for him, even suggested that she'd help him get together with Karin even though they were on a fake-slash-real date, he yelled at her. And what was worst was that he could have sworn he saw her cry. There had to be a way to apologize. He didn't even care if she didn't want to be his friend anymore. He just felt so guilty.

As Kiyomori got up to chase after her, Ren stood in his way. "Don't. She's already gone through enough. Just stay away from her."

'Gone through enough?' he wondered. 'Gone through what exactly?'

"But I didn't mean to say that," he reasoned. "I was just furious and I unconsciousl—"

He shook his head and threw Kiyomori a deathly glare. "I don't care whether it was said purposely or not. I don't want you near my sister."

"But—"

"Stay. Away. From her," he repeated, practically hissing each word. "I might be restricted to harming customers, but so help me God, if I catch you outside trying to talk to her, you're a dead man. Understood?"

Shit. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Judging by that tone and Ren's glare, he knew she'd be under a 24/7 watch. There was no way he could approach her now.

Still… Even at the risk of being killed, he felt like he needed to do this because consequences or not, he'd apologize one way or another.