Hello everyone, this is a continuation of Little Angel. I figured 22 chapters was enough to end on that little cliffhanger, and due to general consensus I decided NOT to put our star-crossed lovers through anything else for the time being, but also because I'd rather not be tracked down and beaten to a pulp :) if you would like to read how I originally planned for the rest of story to go, just p.m. me or review it on either story. This one will start to introduce other characters from the anime, but without deviating from our favorite, awkward couple, Amane and Hikari. Enjoy! cx

Hikari lay wrapped around Amane's bare middle, stroking her side under the moonlight. The Rider's strong arms tightly embraced her, as her breathing still hadn't calmed yet. Hikari decided to take Yaya's advice from Monday and surprisingly, it turned out to work far better than she expected.

Her lover chuckled, whispering to her, "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

Hikari blushed, snuggling closer to her chest, tracing her fingers along her sides. Amane's skin was warm, as always, and it always made Hikari feel safe. They lay wrapped up in each other for what seemed like hours under the twinkling stars and the shining moon. They both wished that tomorrow wouldn't come, but they knew better by now. Amane tried to reason that it would only be a week, and Hikari tried to believe that between school and finding a job, it would pass by like nothing.

She cried terribly when Amane got on that plane. Yaya was no help, with her get-over-it attitude and stand-offish approach. What sucked the worst was that she completely sympathized with Hikari, but her bad-ass cover up was the only was she could respond in an uncomfortable situation. Amane, you smooth shit. She's so reliant on you, it's like she's got no room left for her friends. You might be love of her life, but she's still MY best friend. Damnit, Hikari, this week I'm gunna make you remember all awesome times we used to have together, despite dealing with Jack-ass.

Yaya took her and Tsubomi out for breakfast that morning, although not many places were open at six in the morning, they found a French cafe open that they all agreed to. The bad ass raven and her bubble gum lover tried to occasionally cheer Hikari up, who in turn gave her best attempts to smile with them and laugh along. At heart though, she couldn't stop worrying about Amane. She would be on that plane and then another for over fourteen hours. She'd heard that airplanes were akin to flying, ticking, time bombs, and it scared her senseless. Despite their efforts, Yaya decided to take Hikari home early, and packed up the rest of her strawberry-banana crepe in doggy bag for her to take home. Tsubomi, who drove herself, walked out with them to the parking lot, where she quickly kissed Yaya good-bye, and gave a worried hug to Hikari. The pair then headed to Yaya's car, and went on to Amane's apartment.

Hikari looked out the window almost the whole ride home, and was quieter even longer. Yaya didn't know how start a conversation with her, she was too afraid of setting into another round of tears. They pulled up to her apartment, where Yaya planned to let her out and leave, when Hikari touched Yaya's arm and looked at her pleadingly. "Please... don't leave yet. Will you stay with me for a while?"

Yaya's head rushed and her heart banged against her chest. She blinked a few times, and nodded dumbly, thinking of Tsubomi. Oh Hikari, if only you would've said those words to me a year ago. I'd be a much different woman, I guess.

She walked up the stairs with her blonde friend, texting her girlfriend about the situation. When Hikari let her in, the raven-haired girl was taken aback. She didn't expect to see such a quaint, warm little home from such a big-shot athlete. The windows seeped with the rising morning sun, reflecting the walls whom proudly showed off their pictures of its small family- most of them including not only Hikari and Amane, but her white, shining stallion Star Bright as well. Maybe this is why she clings to Amane so much... this is the first place she ever had that feels like a home to her. Even I can feel the love in here.

Yaya shuddered a bit, finding it a bit gross that she could sense the couple's love life, again reminding her of Tsubomi.

"Hey Yaya, would you like some water?" The smaller girl asked, taking Yaya off guard.

"Huh? Oh, um, yeah, just no ice, please."

She brought the glass over to Yaya, a smile on her face. They moved to the couch, where Hikari blushed as she sat down, not quite looking Yaya in the eye.

"I don't wanna sit here, do I?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. When her little friend couldn't answer she groaned, laughing and grabbed a chair to sit in. "Ew."

They sat and talked for hours, all through the morning and afternoon, and well into the night. Yaya noticed that Hikari's smile seemed much more authentic now than before summer. She both envied and admired Amane for that. It wasn't because of any old feelings she might be harboring, because she genuinely adored and loved Tsubomi. It was just the fact that she was everything Hikari needed, in a way that Yaya could never give her.

Soon enough, after hours of chatting and reminiscing, plus a movie or two, Hikari was yawning and slipping on her words, the way she used to at their sleep overs during middle school.

"Alright kiddo, you should be getting to bed. It's late." Yaya got up and came over to her half-awake friend, picking her up despite Hikari's protests. She helped hobble her into her room, and tucked her in bed. She was already asleep by the time her cascading blonde hair pooled into the pillows, looking like a small, porcelain doll. Yaya chuckled at the sight. It wasn't the same as Amane's though, it was rougher, and not as warm. She bent down to kiss her forehead, as she'd always done, but she stopped herself. She stepped back, and looked at the sleeping angel, and resolved that it was just a bad habit that she would break. She ducked out of the room, turned off the lights in the apartment, and locked the door behind her.

Amane fell onto the hotel bed exhausted, forgetting to shut the door completely behind her. She groaned as she got back up to shut it, and fell forward, her head pressed against it. God, it had been such a long day. Between the airport check in and the racing check in, she'd been stuck in more crowds and fan-girl swarms than in all her life in Japan.

She knew it to be only about nine in the morning here in Texas, but it was after midnight at home, and she hadn't slept a wink since she landed. Every which way she went was another media group or party invitation or press meeting or check in and it was just exhausting as hell! When she left, it had been a chilled Saturday morning. It seemed impossible that she had landed an hour before she left, but the clocks didn't lie, and now as the sun was up, it warmer than she was comfortable with. She slunk back across the room to close the curtains, and pulled herself to the bathroom to wash up. She brushed her teeth while she was at it, but noticed in the mirror that her hair was getting longer. She resolved to get it trimmed if she went into the city again before the race.

Soon she staggered back to the bed, but couldn't fall easily into sleep. It was hard without Hikari there beside her; she actually felt cold now. By the time she did fall asleep, it was a restless and dreamless one. Over and over she would mutter Hikari's name, and toss around, as if searching for her.

Between these periods, her lips would mutter, "I miss you."

Yaya left a message on Tsubomi's cell about what all happened that day with Hikari, leaving out the bit about how she was coming up to her street. She parked well out of sight, about five houses down behind a tree on the one unowned lot on the block. She snuck past the neighbors without a sound, and crept up to her window, sliding in easily, and slipping onto her bed, like she'd done a thousand times. Yaya reasoned that she was probably taking a shower, considering how warm it was getting, and that her cell phone was still on her dresser. She groaned at the heat and threw her t-shirt off and across the room, getting comfortable on the perfectly made bed. Her pink-haired lover came back from a shower just a moment later, and jumped back in shock, stuttering, "What're you- how'd you- why are you-"

"I missed you, your window is loose because I do this all the time, and honey, I know you like it," Yaya replied, winking at her. She rested her head on her hand, the other one snug with her thumb stuck in the pocket of her black, torn up skinny jeans that she had forever. "Oh, did you mean why am I shirtless? Because it's hot in here."

"So you take off your clothes?!" Tsubomi said, exasperated. "Yaya-"

"Relax babe, your parents are as oblivious as they are disgustingly wealthy and old-fashioned," she replied smoothly. She got up off the the bed, and sauntered over to her, with that look that she knew would make her melt. Yaya closed the door and backed her flushing lover into it, whose hold on her towel slipped, revealing the top of her surprisingly perky chest. "Y-yaya b-baka~ n-not on t-the door, they'll hear it."

Yaya ignored her, kissing her in the way that turns her to putty, and picked her up by her hips, carrying her to their bed, catching the light as she passed it. The raven haired girl knew exactly where and when to touch her. Even if she never admitted it, Yaya knew that Tsubomi went nuts for her bad-girl attitude, driving her insane when she talked dirty to her. Her lips lingered now at her throat, and Tsubomi just hoped that she wouldn't make her scream tonight.