I My Me!(Ai Mai Mi!) Strawberry Eggs Fan Fiction ❯ Distant Hearts ❯ Sould united once Again ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A / N : This chapter starts off with Amawa Hibiki's point of view as he returns a year after the 2nd chapter. Just to let you know the rating of this chapter is still about ( PG - 13 ) but it will probably reach ( R ) or
even ( NC - 17 ) in later chapters so be prepared .

PS : I know it took me 8 long months to write this chapter , I'm very sorry to everybody who waited this long but your wait is over . About the next 4 chapters , I'll try to get to them throughout the summer . Enjoy and thanks
for the inspirational reviews minna !!! .

Summary of 3rd chapter

" Long awaited reunion ... soul's united once again "

A year has passed since now 16 year old High School student Kuzuha Fuuko
received a love letter from Amawa Hibiki . His thoughts may be slightly
more abundant than hers in this chapter .

~ º ~

[ The first snowflake fell silently to the ground as a cold breeze stroke the almost leafless branches giving the evening a kind of nostalgic feeling
]

* It sure has been a while since I took such a relaxing and warm bath * thought Amawa Hibiki as he submerged himself into the steamy water slowly
loosening his aching limbs .

* I'm finally back home *

So it was that he had just arrived about two hours ago to the boarding
house , it was currently ( 10:09 PM ) and the train ride had been a few hours long really taking allot of juice from his normally energetic body .

* I guess I've been gone for quite some time , I wonder how my homeroom
students have been and how they must have changed that is if they do
recognize me as a man.

I hope the school board has finally decided to have openings for guys , it
would really be a wasteful trip if they didn't ; well not completely
wasteful . *
he thought as other matters surfaced on his mind .

Kuzuha was an extra sensitive subject to touch , he realized .

+

[ As he looked deeply at the water his gazing eyes slowly became lost in
the depths of his cloudy
reflection . ]

" Kuzuha ... " he mumbled .

How that name had been present in his mind for the last twenty - two months
since he last laid eyes on her , days that seemed like years to him .
Lonely nights spent just thinking about her .

Luckily he had just earned enough credits in Keio University in Tokyo to complete his Masters Degree . Tokyo had been very expensive but he paid it off with his savings . After completing his courses he had taken a small
detour to visit his parents back at Yokohama .

* It seemed right to leave at the time since taking in mind all that had happened , but still ........ leaving her so sad , the only person I really
loved romantically since Mieko all those year ago .

I hope she got my letter last year , what was her reaction ? , I'll just
have to speak to her first to find out . I guess she wouldn't be angry waiting for me for so long , that's not like Kuzuha at all .... still two
years are quite a long time . *
he thought with a somewhat doubtful expression on his face .

" Mmmmmmmphhh" he moaned frustrated splashing the warm water all over
himself completely soaking his loose jet black hair and since he had
allot of it his bangs stuck to his face wildly .

* Calm yourself Hibiki , you know her better than to doubt her actions
...... of course she'll be happy to gaze upon her handsome teacher *
he cheered himself up .

+

[ A sudden sliding of the door got his immediate attention ]

" Hibiki , what if I told you that the news of your unpredictable arrival
has somehow ... spread ?. " said Baa - chan in her most calm tone .

" SPREAD ? , What do you mean ? , I just barely got here and your already telling me my arrival is not so private anymore ? . " he sighted in utter
disbilief .

" Don't yell at me , I guess it's gone pretty much public now , I certainly didn't have one bit to do with this little mess . " she snapped
back .

" Gomen 'ne Baa - chan , I'm just upset about something ."

" Well if you honestly want my opinion I'm sure that feminist Vice Principal from your school is to blame for this , since she always had a certain grudge against you , so don't be taken back by the fact that she
was the one spreading the rumors around . " she finished with a wise
expression on her features .

" Your probably right , figures such loud woman are complete troublemakers
. " he said a bit ticked off .

" Well think of it this way Hibiki , she's probably not very happy about you coming back to make her life a living hell . " she said as she began
laughing .

" Very funny Baa - chan , that sure makes me feel welcome . " he said
sarcastically .

" Hmmmmm , I wonder , aren't there other more delicate issues you must
think about first ? . " she asked indirectly .

" Oh , you mean Kuzuha ? , I wonder if she found out as well . "

Then it hit him .

* What the Hell was I thinking bringing that up , now she'll never stop
babbling about it * he scolded himself silently .

" Very interesting topic you brought up Hibiki , tell me more about it , maybe I can be of some help to you . " she said with no sign of leaving .

" Now hear me Baa - chan , these are my private matters , you have no doing in them , nor to play matchmaker either . " he yelled at her releasing some
of that
stress .

[ A sudden tension surrounded the room that instant ]

" Please , I have to think ." he said to her hinting guilt in his voice .

" Gomen " he then said gazing upwards toward the ceiling .

" I respect your privacy Hibiki , don't get me wrong but knowing you still
have feelings for that young lady is a bit worrysome to me . " she said
with a warm smile .

" Baa - chan , you don't need to worry about that , I'll find a way to work
things out with her . " he said with a small blush crossing his face .

" Well now that that's settled I think you'll be pleased to know that Kuzuha drops around here once in a while asking for any information about
you . "

" Oh she does , and how does she look ? . " a curious gesture formed on his
face .

" I can't spoil it for you , let's just say she's matured . Now if you'll excuse me , I really don't have all night to be talking nor discussing with
you , I've got work to do, Good Night . " she said putting on her most
serious expression and leaving him once again alone .

" Good Night " he slowly answered back .

+++

[ Silence allowed itself to take over the dim room once more ]

* I guess she's all grown up now *

The thought of that girl flooded his mind once again . How it all began so
simply , and ended up so complicated to resolve towards the end .

* I remember it all so perfectly , as if it was yesterday ... *

[ Beginning of short Flashback Sequence ]

' That girl ,

In my teaching career ...

was my first student ...

Even thought my heart was being
led into an unknown relationship ,

I was a teacher , she was a student ...

I was a woman , she was a girl ...

and she was only 14 years old ...

Nothing could ever happen ,

so I thought ...

Because I was a teacher
this was the road I had to take ,

This is how it should be ...

The feeling of that girl ...

should not have been for me ...

Because I am
a teacher after all ... '

[ End Flashback Sequence ]

+++

[ A sudden cold breeze shivered Hibiki back into reality ]

* It doesn't have to be that way anymore . If things could go right for
once , everything would be ok . Our love for one another is what really
matters at the long shot .

And besides , Kuzuha is a young woman now , 16 , not completely grown up but not a child anymore . She's now capable of making her own decisions ,
and she'll graduate from High School in only 2 years .

Stop getting ahead of yourself Hibiki . *

Somehow all those reasons just didn't fulfill that dream , he had to see her first in real life , and then they could start from scratch what would
become a relationship .

Still , the thought of her a " young woman " rushed electricity trough his
well toned masculine body . His mind slowly wandered off .

* I guess 2 years wont change much a person physically , but there might be
a chance she might be unrecognizable , she is a teenager after all . *

So many thoughts filled his mind at that moment .

* Instead of that childish smile ; soft inviting lips would take it's place , those innocent crimson eyes ; hidden lust and passion would reflect on
them .

Her forming frame ; now curvy and fully developed , her silky white skin ;
would burn at his touch .

The arousal that would activate her womanhood , and so on .

Her inner charm would be no less attractive ; Heart of Gold , loving ,
tranquil , sweet , all her traits that not only complimented her
personality but also reflected on her outer image . She was truly a
beautiful person inside and out .

There will be a chance to take friendship to the next step ; a relationship
based on love and trust but only achieved by both our parts . *

How it felt good to dream but Hibiki had had enough time to take in mind
all the real obstacles to this relationship .

Anyway , a guy had the right to fantasize about intimacy with another person , and he was defiantly heating up and not just because of the hot
water.

* She's still only 16 , and I'm already 25 . The real dream would
be to see her now , how she's changed . Then to get to know each other again without limitations . I guess I'll have to wait , but just a little
bit more . *

He had no idea how right he was .

+++

[ The night had turned chilly as midnight neared ]

* Should I really go now ? , it's very late but for love 22 months is an
eternity , I can't wait any longer . As they say " Love knows no
boundaries " , I better get ready . * thought an excited Kuzuha as she
jumped out of bed still having the recent news of her teacher's return
fresh on her mind .

[ Beginning of Flashback Sequence ]

" What an action - packed movie !!! , I wouldn't mind seeing it again . " stated Himejima as she took the new "Cowboy Bebop" movie disc out of the
DVD drive .

" Maybe something less violent would be better for our next " Movie Spot " , huh Kuzuha ? . " asked Seiko - chan still pretty much blown away by the
movie .

" I think that's a good suggestion , but anyways planning an all girls only movie night here in the living room was a very cool idea ; by the way
, where's Umeda ? . "

She's probably off getting more " junk food " from the kitchen , when she gets fat she's going to have to deal with it herself " answered Himejima in
an egoistic way .

" Himejima - chan , don't be so cruel , she always seems to burn it all up
, she probably has a fast metabolism . " I added .

" Body's don't stay perfect forever . " mumbled Himejima under her breath
placing both her arms on her waist in a " know - it - all " fashion .

" Hey , why don't we talk about something .... " Seiko - chan was cut off
as a hysterical Umeda came running into the room .

" What's the matter Umeda ? . " I asked curiously .

" You wont believe what I just found out .... Kuzuha , Amawa Hibiki just
came back . " she finished quickly taking in some air .

" Really ... , I ... , I can't believe it , Hibiki Sensei ... "

* It 's like a dream coming true . *

[ End Flashback Sequence ]

+

* It's already ( 12:09 P.M. ) , I better be getting ready and FAST !!! ,
otherwise he'll be long asleep by the time I get there , that is if he
already hasn't . *

She quickly took of her pajamas to slip into something " nicer " , well as
nice as ( 40 º F) allowed her . Leaving without her leather jacket and scarf would
be suicidal in those conditions .

* I'll have to make up some excuse to be able to leave the school grounds at these hours , I better think of something fast since even mentioning the
word " shonen " could really get me into allot of trouble . *

She picked her wardrobe delicately ; first she put on a long sleeve sky blue turtleneck blouse , then a loose almost knee lenght hip - hugger jean
skirt with light blue tones on it and a nice leather belt on it ; ankle
length leather boots , a scarf to keep her neck warm and last but not
least her long black leather jacket .

Then she sat on her beuro chair , put on some watermelon lip gloss and some powder , and finally let loose her now mid - back wavy chestnut hair and as she combed it she slowly concentrated deeply into her reflection .

* Is he really back ? , ... Hibiki Sensei . * she thought as her crimson eyes turned a bright red - orange at the lucent beuro lights . They soon
after also became shiny and dreamy .

* I've almost forgotten how handsome he is ; that long jet black hair ;
those deep emerald eyes ; that tall athletic frame ... *

A sudden blush crossed her features .

" Ahhhhhhh " she slowly sighted .

* How can I think things like that now when there's no time for them .
Besides his personality has always attracted me even when he was a " bishoujo " ; that cheerfulness , that honesty , that determination to be the best and help all of us , that warm feeling that overcame me when he
was around , how can I forget all of those things . *

" I really should get going now ." she said but then a sudden frightening
thing occurred to her .

* [ " Worst Case Scenario Factor " ], it could happen . If I can't open my mouth to say "Hi "or even worse if I trip , that would really ruin my
efforts to make a good impression .*

"No "she shrugged.

"I have to be positive , everything will be fine . " she said in a serious
tone followed by a quick prayer to Kami - sama .

"Will he confess to me ?... "she asked herself as a single joyful tear ran down her cheek as she grabbed that so familiar letter and hugged it tight .

+

She silently slipped supposedly "unnoticed " out of her room , put her jacket on and just as she was turning the corridor to go downstairs she
heard a familiar murmur behind her .

" Kuzuha , don't forget to tell me every single detail when you get back ,
ok ? "
whispered a very interested Umeda .

" Umm , ok ." I answered back putting one of those fake "alright "
gestures .

" And please ; Behave . " she said with a most " naughty" tone .

" Umeda - chan ... , don't say such things !!! " . I yelled back at her
with a bright red blush forming on my face .

After that nice little talk Kuzuha went on her way .

+

* I was sure lucky those security guards let me trough , I guess the
"monthly emergency " excuse can really pull it off at times . *

As she got nearer to her destination her heart began beating like wild
horses and she was feeling quite warm taking in mind the lowering
temperatures .

* Maybe going in the back door trough the bath is a better idea since I
can just walk directly to his room without the embarrassment of being
presented to him by the landlady at this hour .

I also rather face him alone to compliment this romantic reunion .*

" Almost there ... " she said to herself as she ran trough the dark cold
street .

+

When she finally got there it was ( 12:35 P.M. ) . She slowly opened the outside porch in the garden and began walking silently towards the bath
entrance .

Afterwards she would present herself formally when she got to his room .

* Everything is ok up till now . *
" Ahh , I can already feel the warmth radiating from the bath . "

As she slid the door opened it was so misty she couldn't see a thing .

Then she slowly noticed a blurry figure in the water .

* Some customer must be here taking a late bath , I'll just go around him without being noticed .* she thought not realizing who the figure in the
water was .

As the steam cleared she never expected to lay her shocked eyes upon Amawa Hibiki A.K.A. Hibiki Sensei taking a relaxing long bath at the moment she
just happened to walk in .

" Oh , oh " she murmured swallowing loudly like a child knowing he did
something wrong .

* There he is , just chilling out resting in the water . He doesn't seem to notice me at all . I should just leave as silently as I came and see him
tomorrow , but still ... I can't seem to move . *

When the mist produced by the hot steam cleared up completely she got the
best glimpse of him .

* Does he only have that small towel wrapped around his waist ? , this is
defiantly not a good time . * she thought , now really getting the full
impact of the situation anxious and blushing badly .

" Why do I always get myself into situations like this ? , I never meant to
see him like this , not at all , what should I do now ? " she said to
herself franticly .

+

" Hmmmm ? " Amawa Hibiki thought he heard someone there .

" Baa - chan , is that you ? " he asked still covering his eyes with a
small towel .

* Now what do I do , he's defiantly going to see me now , what should I say ? ... has it been that long since I heard his voice ? * she slowly entered
a dream phase in not the most convenient situation .

She never did realize on time that her boots were somewhat slipping on the
wet floor and when she finally did find out it was too late to stop the
most unexpected
disaster .

* Why now , here ? * was the last thought on her mind .

" Iaaaaaaaa ... " she yelled her lungs out as she splashed a perfect dive
into the bath right on top of her almost cloth less teacher .

+++

A sudden intrusion and weight of someone else on top of him broke his
relaxing
concentration immediately .

His emerald orbs popped open to gaze whom upon he never in a million years
thought possible seeing now .

* This can't be real , am I still dreaming ? * he asked himself in complete
awe .

* Am I truly gazing at an angel ; a wet one at that but not a bit less heavenly . How gorgeous she is ; no , this was more than an angel , more
like a Goddess to be precise; mysterious and yet with such a powerful
presence . *

Wide curious ruby eyes met his ; deep and bright holding a familiar yet
different reflection to them .

Full luscious lips , shinny and soft , long chestnut hair , it's silky
strands floating a top the water in a wavy fashion .

The weight of her light frame pressing slightly against his , so familiar .

It finally hit him , who this mystery girl was .

* Kuzuha , could it really be you ? , so much more impressing that what I
ever imagined .*

As they both realized who each other was the primary surprise of the moment
was slowly replaced by utter paralysis .

Both their bodies tensed and being so close they felt one another's
stiffness . Their eyes became wide and their mouths very small , the blushing didn't
take long to cross their faces as well .

As their racing hearts calmed down so did their expressions , softening
a bit not much but more of breaking the ice .

[ There was complete silence ]

Their faces were once again only inches apart , they were both pretty much
soaking wet breathing on one another's necks still speechless .

* She's so close to me , I can't back up now even if we did start off on the wrong foot . This is my chance to show her how deeply I love her . * he
thought feeling much more comfortable with the situation .

* Hibiki Sensei ... I feel more close to you than all those other times
before . *

The tension seemed to just melt away .

Slowly in a delicate matter he lifted his hand and moved some of those
loose strands that were sticking to her face to reveal her complete
complexion .

His expression was fully calmed and relaxed now , a small warm smile crossed his face . Her expression also calmed as she smiled back to him in
such a seductive matter it made him blush a bit again .

To her it was much more intimidating even if it didn't show that much , he
looked more handsome than ever . He was ... perfect .

They both seemed to sense each other's feelings like searching directly
into one another's souls .

* Her hair is so lively now , so long . Her face much narrower and mature ,
not like a child's anymore . She also seems much taller .*

They just couldn't stop thinking about each other .

He could barely control himself from touching her , embracing her deeply ,
but he knew it wouldn't be right , plus considering that the bath was a
public place and didn't offer much for intimacy .

She wanted so much to be with him , they were so close , so many memories like this flourished on her mind making her want this more than anything in
the world .

* I can't let physical desire take advantage of the situation , it's not
right . * he thought as sudden hesitation appeared in his eyes .

* The time is not right . * he silently stated uselessly since it seemed
neither wished to back off now .

He could feel his heart racing again , her body was pressing harder against
his , arousing his manhood .

She had never felt such a strong feeling being so close to anyone ; an alien feeling was taking over her senses , hidden desires she didn't even know about surfaced on her mind at that instant making her flesh tremble .

He lifted his left hand and placed it softly on her cheek , he took her in
closer with his right . Eye contact was never broken .

The moment he touched her skin it burned her , involuntarily she closed
her eyes for just a second taking in the feeling as if it could last
forever . She was waiting for their lips to meet .

* I ... , I wont be able to stop .* he confessed to himself .

He knew that once it begun there was no turning back , his desire for her
was so strong .

* How I've dream of this moment ... this is heaven . * she thought lost in
his inviting eyes .

She felt ready for this , no matter what anyone would say or think
afterwards .

Passion was radiating from both their bodies .

He held her in his strong embrace , she was also getting aroused ; a new
feeling for her that she wouldn't be able to control .

She was beginning to get anxious , her body was doing the thinking now .

He hadn't been so close to anyone since High School . This was a familiar feeling for him , but he never desired anyone so badly as the woman he now
held in his arms .

Now moving for the deep kiss , their lips almost touching , their bodies
pressing ever closer together .

+++

[ The sudden noise of the door sliding open caught them both my surprise .
]

The unknowing Baa - chan unaware of the whole thing just happened to walk
in on them .

Suddenly the intimate moment was shattered into a thousand pieces , the blow pushed them both back into reality fully aware of what was happening .
They both became so embarrassed .

* Facing him alone again is going to be unbearable . * thought Kuzuha as an
urge to just disappear made her pull herself away from her almost to be
lover .

* Why did this have to happen now ? , to us . * he thought not able to look
at her in the eyes .

" Oh, did I interrupt something ? , I never expected this to occur so
quickly . I better leave you two
alone . " she excused herself and left .

+++

With those last words said , the magic was suddenly gone , all of it . She
felt so uncomfortable and almost violated next to him .

* How come I couldn't get hold of the situation , letting someone get so
close to me . * she thought when just a minute ago she couldn't live without him .

* What , was I thinking , I never should've ... * he pondered looking away
as a sudden unstable voice broke his train of thought .

" I'm so sorry for dropping in like this , I really must be leaving now since it's almost ( 2:00 A.M. ) and you see there's school tomorrow . " she
mumbled mustering the little courage she had because she really wanted
leave .

" Ahh , I guess your right . " he answered playing along her senseless
game as if nothing had happened .

She quickly stepped out of the bath soaking wet walking directly towards
the door from which she came in .

" Sumimasen , Sensei . " she said looking back at him faking a smile that
really wouldn't fool anyone .

" Right , Good Night , Kuzuha . " was his pathetic answer .

All they said were meaningless words just covering up what they really
felt .

* It wasn't supposed to be like this . * she thought as she walked away .

As she got closer to the door she felt him grabbing her arm . She looked up at him , his expression was serious yet worrisome , he was just going to say something that seemed very important but a sudden chilly gust blew and since she was wet she trembled horribly . As her condition preoccupied him
he pushed away the important words he wanted to say to her .

" Do you want a dry towel ? " he asked calmly .

" No thanks , I'll dry at home . " she answered quickly as her anxiety was
building up and she just wanted to leave .

" Surei ... " was her last word to him that night .

Then without any warning she unexpectedly pulled away from his grip and never looking back , not even once she ran into the cold night air leaving
him both perplexed and hurt .

+++

* How will I be able to talk to her now , she'll never forgive me for what
almost happened ... * a hurt Hibiki thought as he entered his room .

" Why does everything always have to crash on me like this , if I could've only apologized and explained to her how I felt maybe things would've been
better . " he yelled staring at himself furiously in the mirror .

His still wet long strands were dripping water all over the floor .

" If I only had stopped the situation before it got so out of hand .... Kuso !, why do I always seem to loose control around her . " he sighted as
some of his anger left him .

+

* It was for the best that we stopped , but never in such an abrupt way . She seemed so confused and scared afterwards , I never meant to hurt her
like that . * he thought depressingly .

* I must clear things up with her first thing tomorrow , what happened tonight just got us both off guard , It wasn't hers nor my fault . * he
laid on his bed staring at the ceiling .

* I hope she doesn't get sick, it's sure cold out there . * he couldn't
stop worrying about her .

" I couldn't even ask her how she was doing , nor tell her how beautiful she looked ... please forgive me Kuzuha . " he said to himself continuing
to stare at the blank ceiling .

+++

Kuzuha ran up the stairs to the dorms , making a trace of dripping water on every step she took almost freezed to death still holding back those tears
.

* No , why , I could've ....... * her mind was a complete mess at that
moment .

As she reached her room she quickly went in and slammed the door behind her which caught the attention of Umeda who was still waiting for her friends
return .

She opened the door to see what had happened sensing something went wrong
.

" Kuzuha .... "

+

[ Kuzuha silently laid her freezing body on her bed and slowly let her
tears drop from her shinny eyes .]

* How could I have given him such a harsh and blameful expression , I was just so confused at the moment , he probably blames himself for something that wasn't even his fault . I really wanted to be with him , I was ready
but I still ended up hurting him .*

More tears fell from her eyes as flashes of that warm feeling they shared
made her shaking body more calmed .

" Maybe if he was in his room at the time ... ,
NO ! , this was our destiny and it couldn't be stopped nor changed , it
happened for a reason , I'm sure of it." she stated feeling better .

" I wont let something like this hurt us . Tomorrow I should bring up the
letter and make him feel better . I really wish that we could become a couple , love breaks all obstacles and we can conquer over them , I know it
. This .... tonight was just a test of love ." she said with a smile
forming on her lips .

As she began to stand up and get dried off ............

* We never got that close before ; I want to feel like that again . * was
her last thought before entering the bathroom .

[ They both looked forward to the next day . ]

~ º ~

End of 3rd chapter .

A / N : Kind of a cliffhanger huh ? , sorry again for making you guys wait
this long . Review if you like .

Next chapter :

" Getting to know you again "

Mill - chan : " See you soon "