And Then, They Fell in Love

Light trickled through the cracks in the blinds, hitting Sara in the face, and causing her to squint as she woke. She turned over, and snuggled deeper into the comforter, hoping she could go back to sleep. It was then that she realized she was not in her own bed. And she was not alone.

Sara sat up very quickly, clutching the sheets to her chest. Images of the previous night came back to her in a rush. Blushing, Sara pulled the sheets tighter and pulled her knees to her chest.

Last night had seemed so surreal. Even in her wildest dreams, Sara never thought she would actually sleep with Osamu.

A noise caught her attention. Osamu lay beside her, still asleep. Sometime during the night, Osamu had lost his glasses. The difference it made in his face was astounding. The lack of glasses and sleep made his expression softer, and unguarded. He looked like a typical eighteen year old boy - one who had no worries in the world. His black hair fell into his face, and fluttered with every breath that he took.

Sara reached out instinctively and brushed the hair from his face. Immediately, Osamu stirred, blinking those gorgeous eyes of his open. He looked confused momentarily, as if trying to understand exactly why Sara was in his bed. It only took him a second however, before a lazy grin spread over his face. He stretched and instinctively reached for his glasses. After slipping them on, he gave her a crooked grin. “Mornin’.” he whispered.

“Mornin’” she replied, settling back into the bed. Osamu wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her closer. Sara snuggled into his chest, and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

“Good. Sore, I think.” Sara shrugged against him. “It isn’t like you forced me to do yoga all night. I’ll be fine.” She paused and played with a stray section of hair. “What about you?”

Osamu flashed a smile. “I’m great.” He paused for a moment, and added softly. “I don’t feel guilty.”

Sara blinked. “Did you expect to?”

“I always did before.”

It took her a moment to grasp his meaning. “Who . . ?”

“No one that you know. She’s. . an old friend of the family. I was young and stupid, and she was older and very pretty. I am not proud of it, Sara. But I can’t take back my mistakes now. All I can do is move on.”

A flare of jealousy rose in Sara. It was stupid, she realized, to be jealous of a girl who she had never met, and probably never would. Osamu was right - he couldn’t change his past. Why should she be mad at him for something he did long before he met her?

Osamu noticed her expression and frowned. “You have that expression,” he commented. “that you are distinctly unhappy about something. You do realize that my relationship with Tani was almost four years ago. I have not even seen her since I was sixteen. She went off to teach school, and I moved on. I wasn’t in love with her. Tani doesn’t even hold a candle to you, Sara.”

A thought struck her. “Wait . . She went off to teach school?” Sara crossed her arms over her chest, and pinned him with a stern look. “How man years apart were you?”

Osamu laughed - a carefree, lighthearted laugh that echoed across hi s bedroom. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her up against him. “I love you,” he whispered against her hair, leaving small kisses in between words. “Never, ever forget that.”

There was no fooling Itaria Monday morning. The moment Sara entered the building, Itaria ambushed her. She drug Sara into a corner, ignoring the curious glance the girls were receiving from Yukio. “Tell me everything.” she demanded at once.

“Everything?” Yukio stood behind Itaria, looking over her shoulder with a curious glace. “Does Sara have gossip?”

Leave it to one of the boys to be the king of gossip. Itaria and Yukio were well matched as friends.

“Between our two love birds here!” Itaria exclaimed happily. She tugged on Sara’s sleeve, and then threw a grin Osamu’s direction. “Yukio, you would have to be blind not to see it!”

A blush colored Osamu’s cheeks, while a noticeable change took over Yukio’s face. His expression darkened, and he all but scowled. “You’re not serious.”

Their silence answered his question.

The bell saved Sara the humiliation of Itaria’s interrogation. The Japanese girl shot her a look, letting her know she was not off the hook just yet. Yukio sulked in the back, and Sara gave him an apologetic smile. Yukio was a good friend, but he held on the hope Sara would break with Osamu once again. While she found him easy to talk to, he was not a possibility of a boyfriend. Maybe this would settle things in his mind, and allow him to move on.

The teacher was not in the class as they packed in. The students took advantage of the free time, chatting and laughing, not paying attention when a young woman walked through the door. She smiled at the classroom, and called them to attention, her dark eyes scanning her students.

Two reactions happened simultaneously. The substitute’s eyes locked on Osamu’s at the same time Osamu took in a sharp breath. It took Sara only a second to put two and two together.

This was Tani.

Whatever connection that passed between the two, it did not last long. “Your teacher is ill,” she explained to the students,. “We are not sure when he will be better. Until then I will be your instructor. I understand that . . “

Sara tuned her out and focused on her appearance. Tani was tall, taller than most of the girls Sara knew. She was thin, but not without a figure. Her dark hair fell in tight curls to the middle of her back, and was currently pulled back on the sides.

There was no doubt this woman was beautiful. Suddenly, Sara felt extremely insignificant. What were the odds? Osamu had mentioned her the night before, and the next morning, here she was.

A hand fell on her knee. Osamu was smiling at her, shaking his head very slowly. “Don’t worry,” he muttered.

Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one facing his girlfriend’s old lover. But from the look on his face, this was not an easy situation for him either.

Tani was not a bad teacher. She obviously knew her stuff, and didn’t hesitate to answer questions. Most of her day was quiet, however, with the students working. Only one student sat, tapping his foot against his shin, staring into space for most of the day. Every once in a while, she would look up from her desk, raise an eyebrow at him, and go back to her work. Osamu remained indifferent.

When the last bell rang, students piled out of the classroom, chatting excitedly and discussing problems with their homework. Osamu stood quietly by his desk, staring at the floor as if entranced. “Why are you here?”

Tani looked up from her desk, and scrunched her eyebrows together. “What?”

“Why are you here, Tani?”

She shrugged. “They offered me a job, and I took it. I’m not stalking you, Osamu. Don’t accuse me of that.”

“I find it curious that you take a job at the one school you know I am going to be at. I told you years ago - whatever happened between us is over. It’s time to grow up and move on. I’m not some kid you can just play around with anymore.” Sara sensed a twinge of bitterness in his voice. “Go home.”

The teacher stared at him as if he had grown a third head. “You really are as conceited as you used to be, aren’t you, Ichijouji?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, and nailed him with a hard look. “First of all, I had no idea you attended this school. I have been out of work for the past year, and when they offered me a chance, I jumped at it. Something has to keep food on my table. Second, if you think that all you ever were was a plaything, I am highly insulted. You’re older. I’m older. I have more common sense than that.”

Both fell silent, and Sara felt like the odd one out. Osamu suddenly let out a chuckle. A real one.

“You’re still the exact same, Tani. Stubborn as anyone I have ever known.” He grabbed Sara’s wrist and tugged. “Ken’s probably wondering where I am. We must leave.” He bowed toward Tani and tugged Sara out the door, only giving her a moment to make a bow herself.

“Did you finish your science project?” Osamu asked suddenly, changing the topic from Tani to a school assignment. Sara raised an eyebrow for a second, then shrugged and shook her head.

“I have to finish something tonight. You?”

“Mmhmm. I’ve spent the last three weeks on it too. Finished the poster board last night and everything. I think I’ll ace this one.” As Sara started to protest, Osamu sent her a grin. He was joking. Of course he was. Osamu aced everything.

“You’re sore loser, you know that.”

Osamu shrugged and pulled her into the door. “Of course I am. That’s why you love me.” He laughed and opened the door to his bedroom, stopping dead at the entrance. Sara gave him a confused look, but the blank stare on Osamu’s face told her not to speak. He looked as though he were in shock. As Sara peeked around his shoulder, she could understand why.

The poster board, Osamu’s precious poster board, lay completely ruined in the middle of his floor. Incriminating evidence suggested Ken had been the culprit behind this endeavor. Osamu’s report lay sopping wet against the smudged blue poster. Pictures were now ruined, along with his thesis.

Osamu walked slowly toward the mess, and picked up something. A straw.

Oh yes. It had defiantly been the younger Ichijouji.

“That little . .” Osamu muttered, stopping himself short. He turned toward Sara. “Go away.”

“What?”

“If you do not want to witness what is about to happen, I suggest you leave. Now.”

Sara knew him well enough to know he was not joking. She nodded and headed toward the living room. Before she had reached the door, a blur flew past her, giggling. Ken. He hopped over the couch, pressing a finger to his lips, begging her to stay quiet.

“I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!”

Osamu was on his heels, catching site of his younger brother. Before Ken had a chance to move, Osamu had him in what looked like a headlock.

“Tell me what you did.”

“Let me go!” Ken sounded distressed.

“Osamu --” Sara took a step forward.

He sent her a look that silenced her. His eyes focused on his sibling. “Tell. Me. What. You . Did.”

“I ruined your stupid science project, okay?!”

Osamu let Ken go, giving him a confused look. “Why would you do that?”

Ken muttered something.

“Louder.”

“I didn’t want you to make a good grade. You always make good grades. I wanted you to fail. For once.”

A silence fell upon the room, and Ken sank down to the floor, looking smaller than he was. Osamu was blinking at him, swallowing a few times as he did so.

“I’ll pay for what I did.”

Osamu looked up sharply. “Excuse me?”

Ken stood, looking from Sara to Osamu. He shrugged, and bowed to his brother. “I’ll give you the money to replace what I owe you. Just. . Please don’t tell Mama and Papa. I don’t want them to hate me.”

Sara frowned. “Ken, you’re their son. They wouldn’t hate you.”

“So you think. I’m not their prized son.” With one more nasty, yet hurtful glance toward his brother, Ken sulked away. Everything was quiet in the Ichijouji household.

And that was the most frightening noise of all.


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A/N: Just to answer a few questions I know are probably going to come up. First off, Tani is not a bad person. She is not stalking Osamu (she really did just get a job there). Originally, she was supposed to be an antagonist of sorts. She and Sara were supposed to just flat out hate each other. That was until Tani informed me that she really liked Sara, and would not hate her under any circumstances. Joy. So I had to completely redo this chapter. Tani is around five to six years older than Osamu. Osamu is 18. She is nearing 24. Also, yes, Ken and Osamu have been having a rather one-sided sibling rivalry.