But she couldn't help the feeling of happiness that bubbled up in her chest at the fact that someone had come over. She didn't let that show though; instead she turned her attention towards Chuck glancing back at Toma only out of the corner of her eye. She looked to Chuck and rolled her eyes as Toma's presence became more known as he stopped in front of the two of them. Chuck offered her the same old lecherous grin that perhaps, she noted, the alcohol had started to make it seem almost charming and affectionate towards her. Chuck was after all one of the prettiest gaijins she'd seen in a while. His gelled hair, and chiseled face, his tender hands…they weren't calloused like Shun's had been or big and clumsy like holding onto her like Yamapi's. Chuck's hands were perfect for holding onto. She looked out of the corner of her eye at Toma's hand and found herself wondering slightly what Plan B's hand would feel like. Toma stared Maki down with a disapproving look in his eyes. Hmphff…well like she cared about his thoughts now! Jerk.

"Oi Maki, come with me. Let's go." Toma's Osaka accent shocked her. He usually didn't talk this even though it was his true accent. He tried to make himself sound as refined as possible because of the image he often offered to the young teenage girl population of their prince charming, not their bad boy. In this decisive tone she couldn't help but feel like there was no arguing with him. It definitely didn't help that he sounded kind of mad at her. She almost found it kind of hot with his demanding voice but she immediately shook that thought out of her head giggling. He could never be 'hot' like 'Shun hot' though. Why had she let that idiot get away? He was absolutely perfect for her, she'd have learnt to let him go underneath her bra eventually too. So what on earth had let her-

Before she could come to the answer herself she found her hands were grabbed by Toma…and it felt all of the sudden like they were heading in the answer's direction.

"Mattee!! Chuck-chan! Call me! OI TOMA! YAMATE!" Maki yelped as she felt her hand and skin twist painfully under Toma's long fingers. She hissed…it hurt badly. She looked up from the pain to glare at Toma but saw another sight that dragged her attention away. She was being dragged towards the couple she didn't want to- she was near Pigumi…yuck. They sounded like a sort of candy she might have bought when she was younger. She grumbled silently as they neared the twosome.

Toma turned to look back at her and noticed the odd look gracing her face but he didn't bother to question it too much as they neared the so in-love two.

How disgusting, both Toma and Maki thought without each other knowing. Their thoughts were synchronized without each other knowing so.

"OI! Megumi, Yamapi," Toma shouted over the volume of the music. The two of them continued grinding up against each other but at least their eyes moved up to look at him rather than each other. He still felt like he was talking to a wall though, even if the wall was technically moving. "I'm taking this one home. She got drunk…and totally can't handle her liqueur if she's hitting on that guy." He said giving Maki a pointed look and then he turned back to Yamapi to point out Chuck to him. Yamapi didn't really care, well he was pretending not to, Maki reasoned. Like he always did that . If he could just admit how into her he was everything would be okay. They could do things in secret, she wouldn't mind. Hurting Megumi was an okay option. Megumi had hurt Mao itself so many times so it was only karmatically correct if Maki hurt her. Right?

But Maki found her faith in Yamapi's emotions dwindling as she saw him pull her tightly into his arms and push his hands into her hair and whip her loose and spin her into his arms with ease. When Toma's attention returned to Maki, Maki gave him the same look of disappointment right back. What a jerk bringing her to see this sight. Sure he had no idea that she was absolutely stuck adoring this other jerk but…still. Except she could easily see that her look didn't have as much of an effect as she'd hoped for it to because it looked kind of weaker. She looked hurt not freaky like she wanted to.

"Didn't even ask me to dance," She mumbled under her breath sticking her tongue out at Toma. He groaned at the intensely cute but dumb face she was displaying with pride right now. It was so darn adorable. Why was it that he could never look at her and think…well that's one stupid girl! It always had to be adorable and stupid or…beautiful and stupid.

Toma was almost tempted to leap at her tongue like he'd often seen Shun do, as it was their 'peace' offering. This time though he felt like it was his peace offering instead as he saw her not pull it back but continue to na na na in his face with it. She was so drunk…but he wasn't. Self-control Toma…it's all about self-control, he recited in his head. He was not using Mao…he was not using Mao…he tried to convince himself of this but the more he saw Maki wobble the more he felt like going back and grabbing her into his arms so she wouldn't fall.

No Mao he'd meant to think Mao!

Then why had he grabbed Mao as well? It wasn't fair to her. He couldn't hurt the girl who barely trusted anyone anyways. Not the only girl who had made him feel…regardless of how strong the feeling was compared to the one's he had for Maki, those feelings he felt for Mao were still there, eating away at his heart with guilt.

Maki pretended to be more drunk than she was so that Yamapi would come and support her again like he did last time. He'd run to her side grab her hips to steady her and then rush out of the club with her in his arms. Yes…that was how it would be. Then why was it Toma who was just holding onto her arm. Keeping her steady…it felt odd. She didn't know where to place this feeling…happy or sad. Were there even places for the feelings that Toma made her feel? He was confusing that Plan B.

She was shook out of her thoughts by Yamapi's voice suddenly speaking. "Wait we'll come with you won't we Megumi?" Yamapi was looking awfully protective all of the sudden, Maki noticed with a happy smirk on her face that clearly depicted all her thoughts. Yamapi rolled his eyes at her stupid expression and turned away as she rolled her eyes back. He was tempted to engage in one of their stupid little disputes but Megumi pulled his attention back onto her.

Maki on the other hand was stuck looking a bit cross eyed as she messed up the rolling to look sarcastic.

Ahh how drunkenness makes all your motions slug like.

Megumi had other ideas, she slowly grabbed Yamapi's collar and leant close to his ear and gave him a devilish smirk and Yamapi grinned widely and shook his head and she nodded back caressing his face and Toma wanted to almost puke at the display of affection with his ty best friend and Toma's own girlfriend's ty best friend.

No wonder they got along so well…together at school they could start the ty club. Hell they could even be co-presidents.

Yamapi was weak when it came to Megumi's charms. It was obvious at the way he continued standing by her and looking at her as if he was one of the most obedient puppies around, Maki spotted and and felt the ball build up in . Why was Megumi able to do this? She'd never been able to make any guy look at her that way...

"Right on we'll be leaving then won't we Maki-chan?" Toma said giving her a wide smile.

...had she?

Maki stared at Toma defiantly. No...it had to be someone like Yamapi himself. Someone who wouldn't normally look at anyone like that. Toma....toma was different. The champagne rushed towards her head and she felt her feet start stamping against the rough surface of the ground, the jealous apparent on her face as she watched the dear couple dance...oh sorry...rub up against each other. Toma frowned and furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he stared on at the somewhat confused feeling Maki. She could take her anger out on him. She looked directly at Yamapi while he turned to glance at her for a second as she opened her big mouth shutting her eyes tightly.

"DIDN'T ASK ME TO DANCE! WHAT A HORRIBLE GUY! YOU HEAR ME? HORRIBLE HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBL-OWWW! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?" Toma had twisted Maki's arm as she found herself exiting the club and heading towards the train station. Moving at a steady pace...farther and farther away from the couple who continued to have on the dance floor…or perhaps Maki was being too kind when he phrased it as such.

"You are extremely hard to shut up when drunk you know that Maki?" Toma uttered finally and Maki continued grumbling under her breath. What the hell did she care what Toma thought right now anwyways? Toma turned towards her annoyed. He couldn't remember a time when he'd ever been annoyed with Maki but obviously here was one presented in front of him.

This could be a story for the grandchildren!

Toma almost kicked himself. There would be no grandchildren. NO GRANDCHILDREN!

"Maki," He started

"Hair!" Toma almost laughed and ruined his serious face. She'd probably meant to say hai but she'd ended up saying hair. Baka, he thought as he stared at her angry, but somehow willing face.

"Nothing," He said and continued on holding her hand feeling the warmth from her spread up his arm and goose bumps rise as they entered the station, which was quite empty he noticed oddly enough. This wasn't a usual occurrence in Tokyo. It was always packed.

Maki sighed deeply. It wasn't Toma's fault Yamapi was a jerk. It wasn't Toma's fault he wanted to invite Yamapi over here for their last two years. It really wasn't. So she wouldn't be mad at him today...tonight, well now today. She'd try and be more amiable company than he'd been to her for the whole night. How on earth had Mao survived on a date with him?

"Two tickets please," Toma said and saw the sleeping officer nod and hand him two as Toma handed over the yen in his hand and told him to keep the change as he dragged Maki down the escalators and down into the subway which seemed deserted yet.

What was everyone in that one club and that was the reason that every other place was so unnaturally empty today?

He glanced at Maki who was still looking at him in what he found to be was an adorable manner with her wide eyes and confused pout. Aish, how could someone be that charming when they were drunk? Toma couldn't help but think. Except Maki wasn't that drunk, she never was really. She always knew exactly what she was doing.

As soon they stepped on to the station where the train would come in a few seconds Toma let go of Maki's hand and shoved it in the warm atmosphere of his pocket instead. He realized however that he kept glancing back between the ground and Maki. He couldn't keep his eyes off her for more than two seconds he realized now as he counted the length of time between each flicker. Maki seemed not to notice however. She never noticed...she was so utterly naive it was even more charming. He could stare at her as long as he wanted, as intently as he wanted, and she would never notice.

It was almost tear worthy wasn't it?

She just seemed to dance around on her feet unable to stay still. He saw her spin around fast and fast and was afraid she'd fall onto the platform while spinning. Before he realized what had happened he found that his hand had reached forward and grasped her wrist in his hold. Reflexively Maki spun into him as if they were doing a waltz.

Maki was shocked at the sudden jolt she felt as she hit his body. She immediately started blushing as he let go of her hand and she let it fall by her side. She didn't leave his side though choosing to prance on the spot in front of him.

But if there was a competition on who was currently redder, Toma would have definitely won.

"Spin spin spin spin." She whispered softly tucking her feet one behind the other as she hopped on the spot.

"Do I have to baby sit you like this Maki?" Toma asked breaking the somewhat...not awkward silence. Rather it was a tense silence as if they were both avoiding something. Maki started grinning widely as she turned around to face him but with some new force ended up backing him up to a wall and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Yup! Toma-kun's the best baby sitter ever. Cause he let's me do anything I want." She said ruffling his hair as a look of distinct distaste came up on his face as he pushed her arm off his head and blew his bangs out of his area of vision and looked down at her with a mock serious expression...which got more real by the second. Or was that just his acting skills?

Maki couldn't really tell.

"Wow you have a wrong impression of me don't you? I'd let you do nothing really if I had the choice." He spoke softly though there was no need. There was no one on the platform other than the two. Maki glanced at him confused and shook her head.

"Je ne comprends pas."

"If I had a choice," He started with a thoughtful expression on his face as he pushed her arms off him because he couldn't bear the thought of Mao somewhere in the corners watching them slowly.

"I wouldn't let you do anything." He finished and Maki giggled. He was acting...he couldn't mean these things he was saying. He had to be acting...right?

"In a sweet way or in a possessive way?" She questioned teasingly as she leaned against the back of the wall staring at him out of the corner of her eye. Mildly serious about the question and intensely curious about the answer.

"I'm hoping both." Toma smiled softly without his teeth. Before Maki had a chance to pull her jaw up at how immensely sweet that had sounded the train pulled onto the platform.

Surprisingly the cart the two stepped into tentatively was completely empty. This really was a first for Toma ever since his very first days in Tokyo he'd always seen full carts and full trains. It was odd now to see that there was a completely empty train with only Maki and himself residing within it.

"Toma." Maki said softly recovering from her previous hit of complete sweetness form him. Toma nodded and turned around to see her lying down on the three seater.

"Yeah Maki?" He asked almost envious of how utterly at home and comfortable she looked lying like that without a care in the world. She was a free spirit she was...but often she tried to hide it. God knew why. She was absolutely captivating the way she was at the moment.

"Dance with me. You didn't ask me to dance right? I bet you asked Mao to dance when she was your date. Why should I be any different?" Maki was rather shocked at the words coming out of . When she'd first yelled in the club it had been directed at Yamapi. Completely at Yamapi...but she found herself almost wanting to dance with Toma. Not the way Megumi and Yamapi had been dancing.

She just wanted to move slowly and, perhaps this might sound a little evil, compare the feel of his arms around her waist and Pi and Shun's.

Toma sat down on the three-seater across her and lay down gingerly as well unsure of whether someone else would come in at the next stop. Looking on at the luxurious pose Maki in was, he found himself uncaring of this.

So what if they saw Ikuta Toma looking like a hobo on a train? It wouldn't hurt his rep to be a little humble he could always say and that would convince his agency that he did nothing wrong and then they could release that to the press. His power would only increase that way.

It was no secret that all Toma thought about was power. You could almost say he got high off it. It was his anti-drug.

Could you disagree? Power is probably the best high you could ever get.

"It's different because you're with Shun and I'm with Mao…this is a date in all the wrong senses of the word. It's a convenience date. It wasn't meant to be a wooing you off your feet date. It was more of a...yeah we're out date." Toma said as he relaxed and found the position quite comfortable. Sure he was cramping his legs a little but it still felt like the good muscle tension, the type you got when you exercised a lot.

"Oh," Maki said looking a little down. It was odd but the past couple of minutes after leaving the club Maki had been felt slightly like she was being wooed.

It had felt decadent. She'd been the wooer...not the wooee. She liked feeling like the wooed. Like this time she was the one who was having feelings ignited in her body.

Guess maybe she was imagining it all.

Toma stared on at her disappointed face and found his body feeling like it should sit upright, stand up and twist her into his arms unexpectedly. So unexpectedly that she would look into his eyes with that absolutely adorable starstruck expression on her face.

There was no point in standing up now though, they were still far from their stop and Maki's depression wasn't something he should get up for right? So it was good that he didn't.

Then why did feel so much like prodding her and erasing that expression of her face...why did he want to so badly replace it with a wide smile.

Then he remembered the couple of minutes he'd spent with Shun the moment before he'd left to go out with Mao. They'd been talking about Maki and he'd gotten furious… because…it had been about Shun touching her. Hadn't that been a hint enough that he should have said no the moment Maki walked in saying that she was going to tag a long in Mao's place? That he would be fine...he didn't really need a date for today anyways? It wasn't really a work thing?

He knew he'd end up doing something stupid. He knew he should have stayed back, or made Maki not come. But the idea of doing something, anything with her had probably been too pleasing for his subconcious at the time to make him remember to reject her. He'd ignored her for most of the night to not do anything stupid...to be a good boyfriend to Mao.

He felt like if he didn't do something stupid right now though that then perhaps he would never get a chance to...and that for some reason he felt that the whole night would have been for absolutely nothing.

"Let's dance." He spoke up and Maki glanced sideways at him the surprise evident in her eyes. Toma looked so normal and young, so unlike anyone in Eitoku with the horrible subway lighting falling on his face as he looked upwards and not towards her.

Maki couldn't help but smile as she stared at the extremely lovable, somewhat powerless when it came to family standings, Toma.

He'd been trying so hard to be something he wasn't most of the night today. She could tell…but she wasn't sure what he was trying to hide from the rest of the world when he pretended an identity. Right now, the Toma in front of her right now seemed to be true to himself though. The light of honesty shining through was so bright she felt almost ashamed for hiding the fact that she wasn't dating Shun anymore, that she felt things for her best friend's boyfriend. She knew why she was hiding her secrets but why was he? There was nothing really for Toma to hide was there? After all, he seemed so amiable in all his forms. The friendly form, the loving form, the acting form, the lying form, really she'd never ever met anyone with as many forms as Toma…so many striking forms.

"Okay." She said and slowly raised her body up propping up as she stood up and started dancing solo for the first couple of seconds and she laughed as he looked pissed off.

"I meant the two of us but if you want to dance alone go right ahead Maki-chan." He said starting to sit his back down towards the seat.

"Shut up loser." She said and pulled him up from his seat and wrapped his arms around her waist and they danced slowly in the empty subway with no music. There was only the rhythym of the cart moving slowly and making the soft noises at stations for them to dance to. Maki leaned into his chest she heard his heart and moved slowly to the rhythm of his heartbeat instead. Toma looked down at the girl in his arms. How was it that she'd been able to get so comfortable so easily? He knew for a fact that Mao would be awkard at first and would try and work out whether his arms should be on top or hers on the top...but with Maki it just all worked out.

He wanted to hit himself.

It was almost sweet, but after all there was nothing between them. There was no chemistry, there was simply friendship in it's most platonic form was there not? She tried to convince herself as she felt her own heart beat speed up as he caressed her hair. Compared to Shun's safe hold, and Yamapi's magnetic one...Toma's was far more loving. It was as if she was the only one in his eyes. She couldn't say that it wasn't attractive because it was. It was deathly attractive this feeling he was getting her almost addicted to.

There was no way there could be anything between them, unless it was simply attraction. That she could allow.

No one could blame her. She was drunk. Everyone knew that drunken girls did stupid things. Maki, the perfect prim and proper girl, would be no exception to that rule. She'd do extremely dumb things like slow dance with her best friend's new boyfriend.

Of course!

There was nothing wrong with this. Toma tried to convince himself. He wasn't doing anything really; Shun had said that soon they would be done with. Maki wasn't enough for him anymore right? So now…Maki…his-no never his but Maki would be free. He felt his thumbs start tracing slow I.T.'s on her back as if he was almost marking her with his initials.

He shut his eyes happily but the moment his top eyelids fell onto his bottom ones all he saw was darkness and Mao's smiling face. Mao's face as he grasped onto her for support as he was about to surge her into the power house in the club, Mao's face as she courageously planted one on his lips, or her face when he surprised her with her first deep kiss. Mao's face as she complained about Jun and laughed about Shun.

Mao's many faces kept flashing before his eyes making him feel guiltier and guiltier as he held on tighter and tighter for support from Maki.

"Maki-" He said and as if Maki had been struck by something she shifted away from him increasing the distance between them and Toma nodded back at her, knowing that she had sensed the urgency in his voice to not do this.

He didn't want to hurt Mao…at all. He didn't want to give her a reason to break up with him. He wanted her to be his, and he wanted to stay by her. He didn't want to break his promise to her, to not leave her, to be able to have her trust him completely. He didn't want to make her weak or break her again after Megumi had. He wanted to love her with all of his heart…but as he opened his eyes and looked at Maki's face he knew that would be impossible.

He would always love Maki…Maki would always have a part of his heart. Unless there was some girl out there with a magic wand that could erase his memories of the girl…no there was no way he could forget her or stop loving her. Even if he wanted to.

"Gomen ne, it's just…Shun and I -" She tried explaining

The train stopped and announced their stop and Toma and Maki stood there for a while before grabbing their things and rushing out just as the doors started to close.

"Let's try and be as silent as possible neh? Maki you do really dumb things when you're drunk don't you? I should have never let you near Chuck. Gomen ne." Toma said sticking his hands into his pockets. Except they felt like cold jail cells now in comparison with Maki's own hand.

Maki shook her head.

"You should have never left me in the first place…with Chuck or anyone else. You'll have to remember that for next time." He turned around to look at her in shock at her words. Maki bit her tongue at what she'd insinuated and shook her head.

"For Mao of course." She added and so they continued on walking silently. Both of them afraid of what might accidentally slip out of their mouths were they to open up and emit the secrets that they tried so hard to keep everyday.

Toma tried to hide his heart, which carried with it his ever-living eternal love for the graceful beauty that adorned his own presence, making him feel all the more happy and alive when he was with her.

And Maki with her odd feelings for the three men most prominent in her life. She didn't know what she felt for each one. She'd thought she'd loved one, admired another, and hated one…but when had they all switched spots? She couldn't remember…and she couldn't sort out what she felt for each of them.

Was she leading them on? She wasn't even sure of that as she looked at the red head in front of her as he continued walking ten paces ahead of her and she realized he'd always been beside her when she'd asked for it. Even if it would hurt his acting career, or he had to study for a test. If she needed him, he was there.

He hadn't started wooing her now...thirty or so minutes ago. No Toma had been wooing her for a longer time than that. She just hadn't noticed it. She'd been blind...blind to the boy beside her.

Shun had never noticed her before she'd confessed her feelings.

And Pi had never even noticed her until she'd walked in all decked in hot clothes.

But Toma'd always been there…and now she couldn't help but wonder foolishly even though she knew the answer was otherwise…had he always loved her?

She gulped nervously as she sped up towards him and took her place beside him. Why did this spot feel like it was molded especially for her. She didn't have enough guts to take his hand or wrap her arms around his waist or do anything too affectionate though. It would reveal too much of herself at the moment than she'd like. She'd be betraying Mao if she did that as well and she remembered the girl she'd promised to take under her wing.

Could she do that to her? To the innocent, and the strong fronted, girl she'd promised to take care of and introduce to all the right people in the world? Could she steal away the object of that girl's affection?

Even if she wasn't sure that this boy was the one who was the object of her own affection? She liked how he made her feel in comparison to the others.

But there was still a lot to be considered was there not? Was she simply making excuses once more?

No she couldn't do that to Mao though. She definitely couldn't. Unless she was absolutely sure of what she felt for Toma. She just couldn't.

But...as she looked to Toma and he turned his head swiftly away she realized he was looking at her before.

She looked down a small smile touching her lips as she curled them in happily. She couldn't help but think two words as she stared at the hand she longed to now interlace her fingers with and find out how it felt:

Plan A.
------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Okay I wrote this chapter actually on like Tuesday and I was ready to put it up when my computer froze! Hooray! So obviously I got mad at it and now I've finally put it up after much work on getting this to even resemble the original.

Hope you guys liked it. I missed out a bunch of lines of the chapter. That'll be up tomorrow. =D

Good nighttt!!

I'll put the previews for the next chapter up tomorrow. Oyasumi! (Did I get that right? Does that mean good night?)

Thanks to my lovely commenters who I absolutely adore. Thanks for reading and bearing with this late update.

RabuRabu tooo: Calliope, Ichigokut3, deppfan, Zing, gl, biniBningPunkista, xxing,makitear-chan, anddd xSuKi!

<3

Lillith E.