Kakeru’s date had abandoned him long ago, but he didn’t care. He hadn’t really wanted to come along with her, anyway. His plan to make Keiko jealous had not worked; in fact, she’d hardly paid any attention to him that entire night. The only times she would take notice of him was simply to glare or to smirk. Not once did she release her grip on Otaru, though. Kakeru found himself feeling helpless, longing to dance with the brown-haired girl who so openly mocked him.

He watched the couple spin across the floor, Otaru’s face burning pink with the exhilaration of dancing, and Keiko looking tired, but happy. Otaru spun his partner around once before stopping her in Kakeru’s direction. The dark-haired boy nearly choked as Keiko shot him a quick glance, then rested her head on Otaru’s shoulder.

Kakeru stood from his table in a huff. She was doing that just to spite him; he knew it! He turned and left through the forest, steaming with fresh anger.

Keiko watched as he left, becoming immediately irritated. He’s been acting like a baby about this all night! She thought angrily, her grip tightening on Otaru’s shoulder. He winced as she did so.

"Anything wrong, Amuro-san?" he asked quietly. Keiko stared at him blankly, before nodding.

"Yeah, I gotta go use the..." her mind conjured up a reasonable word for what she was thinking. "...The "Girl’s Room". I’ll be back in a sec."

She released her grip on Otaru’s shoulders and backed away, not trying to be too obvious in the fact that she was angry. Otaru, she was grateful, had not noticed, and smiled as she walked toward the forest. "I’ll get us some drinks!" he called after her, her back disappearing into the shadows of the trees. He hesitated for a moment before bouncing off to the refreshment table, feeling light as air.

Keiko, her fists clenched and her shoes thumping loudly on the ground, went in search of Kakeru. For a moment, she had felt a pang of guilt for leaving Otaru back there, thinking she was going to the ‘bathroom’. She assured herself quickly, however, that it was for a cause, a reason. Kakeru wasn’t going to ruin her evening.

It hadn’t taken long for Keiko to find herself deep into the forest. The trees had suddenly gotten thicker, and there was barely enough light for her to see by, save for a few patches of moonlight through the dense mass of trees. She slowed her running pace to a fast walk, and she scanned around for any sign of a person. She stopped for a moment in a patch of moonlight to get a better look at her surroundings.

Something she had earlier mistaken for a tree suddenly moved out of its place, and Keiko froze. As it stepped out of the cover of the shadows, her teeth clenched instinctively. Kakeru.

"Why did you follow me?" he asked bitterly, his face still slightly covered by the darkness. Keiko peered through the shadows at him.

"Why did you leave?" she asked, folding her arms in irritation. Kakeru did the same.

"Didn’t think you’d notice, with Otaru distracting you like that," he replied coolly, receiving a glare from Keiko. She stomped over to him impatiently.

"And just what, pray tell, are you implying?" she poked him in the chest with her index finger, which he quickly brushed off with his hand.

"You tell me!" he said angrily, finding his mind to be slightly blurry, so he wasn’t able to come up with even reasonable retaliations. Keiko angrily put her hands on her hips, as if to restrain herself from slapping him then and there.

"Tell you what?! I haven’t even the slightest clue what you mean!"

Kakeru turned from her, fuming. "Just forget it." He felt a hand on his shoulder, as an angry Keiko quickly spun him around. Her eyes were asking a million questions, though her mouth kept opening and closing like a goldfish.

"No! I won’t forget it!" she finally spluttered resolutely, her eyes widening with realization. "You think Otaru is HITTING ON ME?!"

Kakeru’s eyes widened, then narrowed again. "What, you don’t think he has been?"

Keiko’s face reddened deeply. "Otaru would never do anything as un-gentleman-like as that! He’s polite, and nice and..."

"He’s been gushing over you the entire night!" Kakeru inserted the last bit of Keiko’s sentence. "And you’ve been hanging all over him like some kind of mindless doll!"

All the bitterness he had been feeling that night managed to form itself into the last remark. Keiko stared at him, shaking with anger. Her eyes stung with tears, but she forced them back with a short sniff. Her face went a deep red as she thought through Kakeru’s sentence one more time.

"How can you say those things?!" she demanded hotly, shutting her eyes to block out any escaping tears. "You know I would never be like that! You know Otaru would never be like that!"

Kakeru narrowed his eyes to the point where they were almost closed. He wasn’t so sure he did know that. They had seemed so close..."You fooled me..."

Keiko’s head shot up. Her veins suddenly pulsed with rage. Did he really think she was so immodest--!? Her hand shot out before she could stop it. There was a crack of air as her hand met with his pale face, and a gasp of disbelief from both sides. Kakeru didn’t look at her, but his eyes were wide with a sudden horror. Keiko, too angry to notice, brought her hand back to her side, shaking uncontrollably.

"How can you be so cruel all the time?" she asked quietly, her voice quivering. "How can you say those things and still live with yourself?"

Kakeru opened his mouth to respond, but only a quiet, throaty sound came out. Keiko noticed his attempt at retaliating, and soon stopped him.

"No!" she squeaked, her eyes becoming over-bright before she closed them. "I don’t want to hear what you have to say anymore! I’ve been tired, sore, and sick of everything this entire week! And, when I finally get a chance to relax and have fun, YOU have to act like a CHILD and RUIN EVERYTHING!" she paused to take a breath, but instead found herself wiping away furious tears. She went on, in a somewhat defeated voice.

"What am I saying? You are a child! I don’t know why I put up with you all the time!" her words hit Kakeru hard. Had he really been so cruel? Cruel enough to make her break down like she was? To make her cry? Her voice went on, quieter by the second, tears now streaming steadily down her face. "You are the worst person I have ever known! All you do is hurt me—I don’t know why I stand it! I wish I had never met you! I wish I had never come on this trip! I wish I had never even come to the Unicorn Academy! I wish—I just wish—I—"

But what exactly Keiko wished, no one ever found out. She suddenly found herself unable to speak. Her words became a jam in her throat, and, for a very, very fleeting moment, she wondered why. She wondered why she had suddenly become so weak, and why her heart had skipped a few beats she was sure was necessary to keep her functioning. She had not long to wonder, though, because the reason became quickly apparent as she opened her eyes.

Kakeru’s lips were on hers.

Keiko immediately found it a struggle to focus or breathe. Her entire body started to tremble with the reality of her situation, and her senses suddenly piqued. The touch of Kakeru’s hands on her back and the nape of her neck became a sudden tingling sensation. Every part of her body that even remotely came in contact with Kakeru had the same indistinct tingling sensation, until it felt as if her whole body was on fire with it. Her knees almost felt nonexistent, just then, and she would have surely fallen had Kakeru not been supporting her so tightly.

That’s when it suddenly struck her. It was Kakeru. She was being held by Kakeru. She was kissing Kakeru...

Her body suddenly felt very weak, and it became even harder to stand than before. She felt an unbearable tiredness, along with a sickness at the pit of her stomach. Her whole body felt lighter than air, though she was not sure if this was a good or a bad thing. It certainly helped thoughts from weighing down on her mind, however...The whole world seemed to suddenly sweep down upon her and, finding it too much to bear any longer, Keiko felt everything go black.

Kakeru felt her body go limp in his arms, and it became apparent that she had fainted.

He slowly opened his eyes and brought his lips away from hers, becoming aware, only then, of what he had just done. Everything suddenly felt surreal, and he felt dizzy. He found himself unable to stay on his feet. He slid to the ground, Keiko still limp in his weak, shaking arms.

The dark-haired musician was breathing hard now, nearly gasping for breath as Keiko’s still form pressed against him. Her head rested on his shoulder, and Kakeru’s brown eyes widened with a sudden horror. His grip loosened around the girl and he tilted her head to look at her face. Stupid thoughts passed through his confused mind as his eyes took in the ghost-white color of Keiko’s face. He wondered, fleetingly, stupidly--if she might be dead. He shook her roughly, air rasping into his lungs. Could he have really...? Was she...? How could...? ...!

Then her eyelids began to flutter, and Kakeru could feel what little air he had in his lungs escape him. Her eyes slowly opened and focused on the dark-haired musician’s face, which had gone deathly white under crimson cheeks. She stared at him for a moment, gathering her thoughts, and noticing that the tingling feeling had not fully left her body. Then her eyes went wide.

"Kakeru..." she breathed, blushing at the realization that he still held her. "You...you..."

She couldn’t muster the words. Even now, it confused her that such a thing could have been done by the heartless musician. Kakeru seemed to know what she was thinking, however, and he flushed, his entire face going a deep shade of red.

"I’m sorry," he gasped, struggling with the words. The air had not fully made its way back to his lungs. Abruptly, he let go of Keiko and jerked up onto his feet, though he trembled visibly, the act of standing a struggle. Keiko watched him, a slight chill passing over her as the warmth of his body left her. Kakeru’s brown eyes looked troubled and confused, and he turned away. Then, as if both ankles had been broken in several different places, he staggered off deeper into the forest.

Keiko’s green eyes trailed after him as he walked away. Why does he keep running away..? She thought breathlessly before staggering to her feet. She was trembling and her knees almost buckled beneath her as she stood, but that did not stop her from going after him.

It had not taken long to find Kakeru, as he had apparently collapsed on the forest floor. He was on his knees, bowed over to the ground as if deep in prayer. However, his shaking back gave away what he was really doing, and Keiko approached him, overwhelmed with a sense of pity and almost unbearable confusion.

A twig snapped under her foot, letting out a bigger sound than thought possible of a small object. Keiko stopped in her tracks and waited with baited breath, as Kakeru’s head shot up. He flung his head in her direction and stood, his mouth hanging open as he breathed audibly. Keiko, still trembling, smiled gently at him.

"Kakeru," she murmured, "Why do you keep running away from me...?"

The violinist stayed glued to the spot, his eyes fixed decidedly upon Keiko’s pale face. She repeated her question, this time with more urgency, and he swallowed.

"I’m just so afraid..." his voice quivered as he spoke, hardly above a whisper. "I’m afraid I’ll hurt you..."

His reply had struck Keiko like a blow to the stomach. Feeling dizzy, she slumped to the ground, leaning against a conveniently placed tree for support. Kakeru...afraid? About hurting her...? It was so strange; so unlike him...

A sudden panic had risen inside Kakeru, and he grasped desperately at the spot on his chest where his heart was located. He was hurting her! However, Keiko’s sudden smile told him what he was feeling was wrong, and he slumped down beside her.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked quietly, his brows knitted in confusion. She looked him in the eyes, and he caught the ironic twist to her smile.

"I just don’t understand you," she stated simply. "You tell me you’re afraid of hurting me, but that’s all you ever seem to do..." She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, and Kakeru felt a pang of guilt at the fact that her hand was wet with tears.

Absently, he reached out and took the hand, trembling as he did so. She stared at him with watery eyes, her heart fluttering curiously at the touch of his hand. Kakeru looked down at their joined hands, and he smiled somewhat sorrowfully.

"I don’t mean to hurt you..." he whispered, his voice still shaking, though not as much so as before. "When I do it, it’s only because I’m scared...Maybe I’m so afraid of hurting you that I do it without realizing it..." his voice trailed off thoughtfully. Keiko looked him over incredulously before blurting out the thought that had been plaguing her.

"Why?" she said, "Why do you care so much? About me; about hurting me...?"

Kakeru did not respond right away. His heart nagged at him to tell her exactly why, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. More than being afraid of hurting her, he was afraid of losing her. He knew if he said it, he would surely never see her again...

However, he finally relented to his heart’s nagging, and he sighed. With every ounce of strength left in his weakened body, he answered her.

"Because..." he mumbled, determinedly looking Keiko in the face. He wasn’t going to be a coward anymore. Keiko’s green eyes looked at him expectantly, and he knew that it was too late to back out. He swallowed back the lump in his throat, Keiko’s green eyes boring into him.

"I love you."

Keiko’s heart stopped in mid-beat, as did her breathing and nearly any other function her body might be performing. For a moment, it was as if everything stood still, and Keiko was in disbelief. When her heart finally caught up with her again, her eyes opened wide, taking into full account Kakeru’s words. She shook her head disbelievingly.

"What...did you say...?" she asked slowly, unsure of herself. Kakeru’s eyes went down once more to their hands, and his face went paler. He swallowed again.

"I love you." It was easier this time, Kakeru noticed, and he felt he had accomplished quite a feat that time. He had admitted it! He tried the words out one more time. "I love you." The faintest of smiles spread across his face at his feat. He couldn’t believe he’d actually said the words he’d been wanting to for so long...the faintest of sniffles met Kakeru’s ears, and the smile vanished from his face. She was...crying? He suddenly felt ashamed of his smugness in his accomplishment. He shouldn’t have said anything; he should have just kept walking! He squeezed his eyes shut, afraid to look at Keiko’s face.

"Why didn’t you tell me before...?" Keiko asked in a small voice. Kakeru opened his eyes curiously, but did not look at her. He felt his face go red with a mix of shame and embarrassment.

"I just...didn’t want to lose you..." he said weakly. He closed his eyes again as Keiko let out another, louder sob. He loosened his hand from hers and prepared himself to leave for the last time, when something stopped him. Or, rather, Keiko did. She threw her arms roughly around his neck and began sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder. Too stunned to even react, Kakeru merely sat there in Keiko’s embrace until he regained his senses. Then, automatically, he put his arms around the crying girl and rocked her back and forth. This was more comfort to himself, he noted, than to her, as she continued crying into his shoulder, soaking his elegant tuxedo in salty tears.

As the girl’s tears began to lessen, Kakeru lifted her head from his shoulder to look her in the eye. If there were any answer to be found in her crying, he would definitely see it in her eyes. When she finally looked at him, Kakeru’s heart thumped loudly on his ribs. Though her green eyes were over-bright with tears, there was a certain softness in them, one Kakeru felt was easily recognizable...There was love...

All doubt in Kakeru’s mind vanished at that one look and, without further hesitance, he closed the gap between his face and Keiko’s. This time, as his lips touched hers, there was a noticeable difference; a kind of understanding between the two. The tingling sensation had returned full-force, but Keiko knew this time, without a doubt in her mind, that it was a good sensation. She held on to the feeling as long as she could, but knew that, as all good things did, it must end. She reluctantly pulled her lips away from Kakeru’s, eyes still closed.

When she finally opened her eyes, her heart did a near summersault in her chest as she looked into Kakeru’s deep brown eyes. A look of such total adoration filled them that it was hard for her not to smile...or for tears to leak out of her eyes. Kakeru, noticing the tears suddenly streaming down the girl’s face, placed a kiss on one of the sparkly tears running down the girl’s face. She blushed furiously as he continued placing soft kisses on various places all over her face—though she could not say that she was unhappy about it. Finally, he kissed her soundly on the lips one last time.

When they parted, both were smiling widely; Keiko looking slightly embarrassed, though happy all the same; Kakeru grinning like a child who had just received the largest candy bar he had ever seen. They simply stared at each other for a moment, examining the other’s face curiously. Then Kakeru stood up, pulling Keiko up with him. Almost naturally, Keiko slipped under his arm and settled herself in that small area where the joints connected, placing his hand on her shoulder. He blushed, slightly, at her actions, but gave no objections.

"I don’t think I want to go back to the dance," Keiko said quietly as they began to walk. Kakeru arched his eyebrows at her.

"What about your...date?" he said with some difficulty. It had only just dawned on him that this might all be a dream. He shook off that feeling as Keiko sighed.

"I’ll explain it to him tomorrow..." she said tiredly, pressing herself closer against Kakeru’s chest. Instinctively, his grip about her shoulders became tighter, and she looked up at him inquisitively. He avoided her eyes bashfully.

"You know, if I’m asleep and this is really all just a dream," he said quietly, "I don’t think I ever wanna wake up again..."

Keiko blushed beautifully and nodded, a mutual understanding passing between them. Neither of them talked the rest of the way, as their feet carried them off, without their noticing, back to their camp. It was only once they had reached their tent that either of them stopped walking, or let go of the other. It was also about then that the realization that they were still sharing a tent together dawned on them.

As usual, Kakeru allowed Keiko to dress first though, as he waited outside the tent for her, he felt an odd sense of loneliness without her touch. Keiko felt about the same as she waited, impatiently, for him to get ready. Once they were both inside their tents, they crawled inside their sleeping bags, not looking at each other as they did so.

There was a long silence between them until Kakeru finally spoke, somewhat ruefully. "This was a great dream, wasn’t it?" he asked quietly, his face focused decidedly on the door of the tent. Keiko smiled as she closed her eyes.

"It was the best dream I’ve ever had..." she agreed, taking Kakeru by surprise by reaching over and placing a goodnight kiss on his smiling lips. Through the darkness, she could almost feel the blush rising to his pale cheeks, and she giggled. She then took his hand and lay back down.

"If we wake up still holding hands," she said sweetly, "Then we’ll know that this wasn’t just a dream ... "

Kakeru smiled at that. He sighed satisfaction at her words, and tightened his hold on her smooth hand. It did not take long for them both to slip into deep, dream-filled sleep, each still thinking about the other...

(a/n) sorry to cut that off so abruptly. ::points to head:: ran out of stuff up here, you see. For those who were confused about the whole thing, this is kind of an alternate scene thingy for the RR dance...thing...yeah...::coughs:: ::flies off in the destination of her next KK fic thingy!::

oh, yesh.

THE END