Boys Over Flowers Fan Fiction ❯ You Want Me To Be What?? ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Title: You Want Me to Be What? 5/?
Author: Makoto Sagara
Series: Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers)
Pairings: Tsukasa/Tsukushi, Sakurako/Kazuya, Mimasaka/Shigeru, and others TBD
Rating: T+
Warning: het, language, based off of manga, OOC, SPOILERS

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Hana Yori Dango. I wish I owned Rui though. No money is made from this, and taking my wallet would only get you a bad driver's license picture and my library card.

Author's Notes: And now we move into the real plot! *sigh* It's about time, ne?

Chapter Five

It was the first day of my last year of college. I had gotten dressed that morning carefully in a soft pink blouse with a scoop neck and a tiny bow near the left shoulder, a black pencil skirt that was a few inches above my knees, and a pair of black pumps with a reasonable heel. I brushed my hair until it shone, smiling as I realized that after I stopped letting Hanazawa Rui cutting it, it was cuter as it brushed my shoulders. I had on light makeup - some blush, a dash of eye shadow and mascara. I gave myself a little smile before applying some lip gloss. All in all, I looked like a happy young woman of the middle class that was about to head out to face the world.

When I left my room, I saw my brother, Sumusu, grabbing his jacket off the hook by the door. “Heading to work now?” I asked.

“Yeah, all of my classes are in the afternoon, so my boss asked me to come in and help him open up today,” he answered, smiling.

Sumusu, after graduating from the same public high school that my best friend had attended, got accepted into Tokyo University and a job at a clothing store not far from the campus. He liked his law classes and his job. He was happy. I was so proud of my little brother. He'd grown up into such a handsome and kind young man. Looking at him, I felt like an old woman watching her son.

“What's the matter, Sis?”

I shook my head to get rid of my silly thoughts. “Nothing's wrong, silly brother. I was just wondering when you planned on telling Mom and Dad about that girl you're seeing in your program?”

He groaned. “Hopefully never. After what they did to you in high school, I'm a little scared of how they'd receive a normal girl from a middle class family. I'm sure they're expecting me to become some famous lawyer and marry a super model or an actress.” He shuddered, and I felt sorry for him.

Sure, our parents had been crazy over Tsukasa and Hanazawa Rui and even that jerk, Amon, when I was attending Eitoku Gakuen, but since Papa got his new job at Mimasaka Trading Company, he'd mellowed. Even Mama had given up her crazy schemes to own houses all over the world and to live like a lady of means. They'd settled down into our comfortable life and didn't even pressure me about my relationship, as it was, with Tsukasa. Although, they were kind of strict over whom my brother dated. Mama had said something about not wanting to have anyone in the family that would embarrass the Domyoujis.

“Don't worry about it, Sumusu,” I told him as I scrounged around for some orange juice for breakfast. “Bring her over for dinner tomorrow. I'll make beef hot pot and she can meet our kooky parents.”

“Hey, Sis, have you heard from Tsukasa-nii-san lately?”

“Hm, yes, I spoke to him last night. Why?” I gave a shout as I found the pitcher and poured myself a glass.

“You might want to check this morning's paper then.”

“Hm?” I looked at my brother as I took a drink. “Anything interesting in it?”

“I guess so, if you count the fact that the whole Domyouji family has returned to Japan for the first time in years as interesting news.”

I couldn't help it. I spit the drink of orange juice out, staining my new blouse and the counters with it. “What?” I squeaked. Without letting him answer, I snatched the newspaper out of his hands and stared, dumbstruck, at the picture the handsome Domyouji family made. And all the members were there - Tsukasa, Tsubaki-nee-san, her husband, and their parents. “Oh, oh, oh,” I whispered over and over.

“Sis, are you alright?” Sumusu asked, his voice very close to my ear, making me jump. “You don't look so well. Do you have a stomach ache?”

“I… I need to call Hanazawa Rui…” I patted my pockets down, searching for my cellphone, but a loud knock on the door startled me and I dropped it on the floor.

“I'll get the door. You sit down.” My brother eyed me carefully as he walked to the door to our apartment. I absently wondered where our mother was. It wasn't like her to be gone so early in the day, but she had started visiting the gym in the building lately, I belatedly remembered. Maybe she was there… “Oh, Tsukasa-nii-san, you're just in time! Tsukushi's in the kitchen, but she looks a little ill.”

“Tsukushi?” Tsukasa's familiar and beloved voice in the flesh for the first time in a long while brought tears to my eyes, and I covered my mouth to stifle a sob that was threatening to escape.

“Tsukasa… Oh, my god, it's true,” I whispered. That was the last thing I remembered before my eyes rolled back into my head and I decided to take an impromptu nap.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“You stupid little brother, what in the world did you do to Tsukushi-chan?”

That was the first thing I heard when I woke up, but I was afraid to open my eyes and see Tsubaki-nee-san there. I was afraid that if I was awake, my whole life was going to go from easy-going and comfortable to Hell on Earth.

“I didn't do anything, you worthless bimbo! I walked through the door and she was crying! When I approached her, she whispered something I didn't hear and fainted like some dumb girl!”

“Didn't you tell her that we were coming into town last night when you talked to her?”

“No, I wanted to surprise her!”

“Dammit, Tsukasa, you don't just surprise someone you love with our parents! You warn them first! No wonder Tsukushi-chan fainted!”

“You know, if I wasn't already awake, you two would have made sleeping impossible,” I said, trying to sit up as I opened my eyes. I winced as the light registered and wished both of the Domyouji siblings in my bedroom dead. At least for a little while.

“Oh, Tsukushi,” Tsubaki yelled happily as she engulfed me in a Chanel-scented embrace. “I'm so glad you're alright. I'm sorry my brother is an idiot and I hope you don't hold that against him.”

“I knew Tsukasa was an idiot long before now, Tsubaki-nee-san,” I responded, watching as she smiled and the object of our conversation scowled, his right eye twitching in anger. “But that doesn't explain how you got here in my room.”

“Well, after Tsukasa surprised you and you fainted, the moron called me frantic.” She sighed and rolled her expressive brown eyes before giving her brother an indulgent smile. Although, that reminded me of something…

“Where's Sumusu?” I asked.

“Oh, he said he had to leave or he'd be late for work,” Tsukasa answered as he sat down next to me on the bed. “What it is about your family and working when you have things perfectly alright, I'll never understand.”

“Well, as I've tried to get through your thick head for years now, not everyone was born with a platinum spoon in their mouth,” I snapped, feeling my anger rise rapidly. I looked at my watch and groaned. “I've missed my economics class, and on the first day too. The professor is going to cut me from the roster and it's the last two credit hours I needed for my degree.” I wanted to cry.

“I'll talk to him,” Tsukasa said arrogantly.

“Not everything can be fixed with money, Tsukasa,” I responded, leaning back against the super plush pillows that I'd come to love in the last few years. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“Surely you remember what my brother promised you before he left to New York,” Tsubaki said, frowning in confusion.

“I remember a lot of things he's said to me over the years, Tsubaki, but what don't I remember specifically?”

“It's been four years, Tsukushi,” Tsukasa said, his voice holding a hint of uncertainty.

“Since you left for America? Yes, I remember that, Tsukasa. What else…” I snapped my mouth shut as I remembered that night at his prom all those years ago. Oh, god, he was here to marry me. “Really? Now? I haven't even finished college yet!”

“That's unimportant,” he shot back, his dark eyes boring into my skull it felt like. “You can finish at any time!” I decided to ignore his stupid comment and turned to his sister.

“That's why both of your parents are here, isn't it?” She nodded sadly. “And Higo-nii-san too?” She nodded again and I felt the desire to be sick to my stomach. I swallowed down the fear and sat up straight. “Alright, what do I do first?”

They both blinked owlishly at me, as if they couldn't understand what I was saying. “Well, Mother and Father will definitely want to have dinner with your parents and brother as the first step. After that, I think Mother will want to talk to you,” Tsubaki answered, standing up and straightening her beautiful couture dress, a Versace if I wasn't mistaken.

“How soon?” How soon before my life changes even more than it did when I was just a girl wishing for the end of high school? How soon before my family embarrasses me even more than they did when Tsukasa and I began dating? How long did I have to steel myself to meet their mother again?

“Tomorrow, at the earliest,” Tsukasa answered, taking a cue from his sister and standing as well. He held out one of his huge, warm hands for me to take and I did so. I let out a little squeak of shock as he pulled me from my bed and directly into the circle of his arms. “I've missed you,” he whispered huskily into my ear, making my heart pound.

“I missed you too, Tsukasa, but you could have warned me a little,” I whispered back before burying my head in chest, luxuriating in the comfort he gave me. “At least then I wouldn't have told Sumusu to invite his girlfriend to dinner to meet our parents.”

“Oh, little Sumusu has a girlfriend, does he? What's she like?”

“I don't know that, do I? I haven't met her yet, because he doesn't want our parents to meet her and disapprove. They've been stupidly strict about who he dates the last few years.”

“Why?” he asked, forcing me to look up at him to make sure he wasn't joking with me. But, no, he was seriously stumped. I looked over at Tsubaki and saw that she was torn between being sappily happy about Tsukasa and me together and being annoyed with her brother's stupidity. “Sumusu's not a bad kid, and he wouldn't choose a bad girl.”

“That's not a problem, but I'm glad that you can recognize that about my brother, Tsukasa,” I muttered before sighing heavily. “They're worried that any girl that he picks isn't going to be good enough for your family.”

He scrunched up his face in disgust, but I could feel his chest puff out in self-importance. “That's just stupid,” he said after a few long seconds of quiet. “They should be more worried about your brother's happiness.”

I couldn't help it. I began laughing, nearly hysterical laughter, until tears were streaming down my face and ruining my makeup. However, I wasn't the only one. I could hear Tsubaki laughing at her brother's words as well. “What?” he roared when we hadn't calmed down after two minutes. “What is so damn funny?”

“Oh, Tsukasa, my dear, stupid, sweet little brother,” Tsubaki said around giggles that still escaped her from time to time. “While it speaks volumes that you would speak up for Tsukushi's brother's happiness, do you really think that his choice of girlfriend or eventual bride wouldn't reflect on the Domyouji name if you marry Tsukushi?”

The way he stiffened in my arms told me that he really hadn't, and I loved him more for that gesture towards my level-headed and sensible brother than if he'd lied or done something ridiculously pompous. I could also tell that he was tired of the two of us poking fun at him, and I knew that if I didn't diffuse the situation soon, he was going to get very angry. I really didn't want the first time we'd spent together after so long apart to be filled with a screaming match. However, before I could make an attempt to smooth his ruffled feathers, my stomach growled, loudly.

“Sorry,” I said, blushing furiously and trying to hide my face against his chest. “I haven't eaten since dinner yesterday.”

“Well, let's go get something to eat,” Tsubaki suggested. I let Tsukasa lead me out of my room and out of the apartment, but only after he grabbed my purse and handed it to me so I could lock up. I tried to bury my anxiety about what the next few days were going to hold for me and just enjoy my time with the two of them, but it was very difficult.

TBC