To his utter astonishment, she laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms carefully around his waist, closing the space between them. “Jin, I never wanted to you to let me go. I really don’t. Seeing you so close to me but not being able to be even closer kills me inside every time.” “Then why do you keep pushing me away?” “Because I’m scared. I can’t let you win!! I can’t let you open the locks that I put on my heart! Find another woman that will love you as much as I love you and keep going. Don’t wait for me.”

At that moment, his heart seemed to have died. Maki put a hand on his face and seemed to be memorizing the touch of him for the last time. “Jin!” She gasped in surprise. “You’re burning up!! We need to get you to a doctor!” Jin swatted her hand away. “It’s none of your concern.” He said coldly and staggered out of the room, leaving Maki behind.

-2 days later-

Jin’s sick, really sick. Shortly after our “encounter” in the dressing room, he fell really sick. He got so sick that he wouldn’t let any of us visit him in his own place. He said that he didn’t want any of us getting sick. “Maki? Maki!” I jumped out of my thoughts to see Kame waving his hand in front of my face. “Ya, what is it?” “Are you okay? The director wanted to talk to you about the details of the interview.” “Sure, I’ll be right there.” As I went to leave the room, my cell rang and I went to pick it up. “Hello, Maki speaking.” “Maki…” a voice croaked into my ear. My body instantly froze at the sound of this voice. “Jin…what is it!?!” “So…tired.” The line went dead in my ear. “!!” I chucked the phone into my backpack and flung it over my shoulder.

In that one moment, I had completely lost. I had lost my heart completely to this stubborn and weird man by the name of Akanishi Jin. The locks I had put up had melted under his touch a long time ago. He didn’t even need a key. “Maki, where are you going?” Kame looked at me extremely confused, and the other boys joining in with him. “I’m sorry…I can’t…I just can’t leave him alone any longer. He won. I lost.” He looked at me for a second before letting out a loud whoop of cheer. “It’s about time for you two!” The other boys joined in the cheering. “But…” “But nothing! Hurry and go be with him!” Maru shouted excitedly. “No, it’s just that…” “There is no NO! Hurry up and go!!” “NO, it’s just that I don’t have a key to his place.” All of a sudden, 5 keys were in my direction. “Here! Take it!” “Tat-chan, where did you guys get his key?” “We snuck into his room one night when he was sleeping, stole it and made copies” “Do I even want to know why?” “Just thought that you might need it one day.” I didn’t even want to know what they thought I would need it for, I just randomly grabbed one of the keys and ran out.

No one’s POV

Maki ran to his house in record time and bursted through the door. She walked in to find Jin sprawled on his bed and an extremely untidy place. Walking over to him, Maki put a hand to his forehead and found that it was still burning. She put a cool towel on his head and tucked him into his bed before starting to clean up this entire mess which he called his house. She checked on him every hour or so but he showed no sign of waking up. When she was finally done, Maki went back into his room to check on him once again, but accidentally knocking over a box on the side. “Damn it!” She started picking up the stuff in it when she found something that she thought she would never see again. Her necklace. “But I threw it away…” she looked over to Jin, who was still sleeping. She put it back on her neck and touched it in fondness. “How long were you out there looking for this, you stupid boy.” Maki pulled up a chair beside his bed and sat down. “What am I ever going to do with you?” she put her hand on his and held on tight. “This time, I’m not going to let go this easily, so be prepared.” That was her final thought as she fell asleep. 

Jin’s POV

I slowly woke up to the feeling of a cold towel on my head. When did I do that? I thought I just collapsed on my bed? I tried to raise my hand but I found that another hand was covering mine. Following the hand, I found the one person that I would least expect to be in my apartment. It was Maki’s. She was fast asleep. How long has it been since she held my hand like that? Too long, was my answer. I raised my other hand and gently put it on her face, loving the feel of it under my hand.

Maki’s POV

I felt something on my face and tried to swat it away, but only hearing a slight chuckle in return. My eyes opened suddenly and I saw Jin looking at me with that expression that always made my heart skip a beat. “Jin!! Are you feeling better now!?!” I put a hand to his forehead and sighed in relief when his fever went down already. “Well, that’s a relief, your fever went down. Are you hungry? I’ll go cook something. Go take a shower.” I dashed out of the room and into the kitchen. It was really funny how he hadn’t really even noticed that my necklace was back on me already. Back where it belonged. “Woah” I heard Jin say as he looked at the table full of food.”Sorry, I might have went a little overboard but you only get sick because you don’t have enough nutrients in you. So, eat up!” He sat down and began eating, sneaking glances at me every few seconds when he thought I wasn’t looking. “Maki” He began. “What is it?” “I’m sorry.” “For what?” “Everything that I did. I have been thinking and if you really want me to let you go, then I will. I just want you to be happy, even if I’m not.” My heart literally melted at his words, but part of me also couldn’t help laughing at how adorable he was. I couldn’t stop laughing to answer him, so I simply went up to him and wrapped my arms around him, laying my head on his chest. I could literally hear the confusion in his head.

No one’s POV

There was nothing but confusion in his eyes as she stepped back, beaming at him. Slowly, she pulled her necklace out of her shirt and a look of understanding dawned in his eyes. “Why?” Jin asked. “It’s simple. I lost and you won. In the end, I still love you too much to let you be with another person.” There wasn’t another word said but it wasn’t necessary. Jin enveloped Maki in his embrace and the unspoken words of love and affection were all said in that one simple action. “I love you.” Maki said to Jin and there was so much love in her eyes as she looked at him that he could his heart just swelling with all the love. There wasn’t the slightest doubt in his eyes and voice as he replied “I love you too.”

Jin’s POV

 I was completely and utterly in love with this woman. I had since the day I first saw her when she was in Nagasaki with her family. I had since I had first lain eyes on her. She was destined to be mine and I was destined to be hers. “But I wonder who it was that said we couldn’t be together regardless.” I . It was just too adorable seeing her reaction. She huffed and walked away playfully, but I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her back into my embrace, where she belonged. “Maki…” I whispered in her ear loving how she blushed intensely at this one simple action. “What do you want?” I turned her around so that she could face me and I could look into those warm eyes that I loved so much. I hugged her tightly to me and she hugged back, without a doubt. Nuzzling my face into her neck, I could just feel her heartbeat increase. Leaning down into her ear, I whispered those words that I knew she loved to hear almost as much as I loved saying it. “I love you.” She gave a sigh of content that gave me delightful little shivers everywhere. Her hands were warm and soft as she put them around me. “I fall deeper in love with you every time you say that, you know.”

No one’s POV

She gently pressed a kiss to his jaw line, unaware of the intense look of lust appearing in his eyes. “God, I can’t take it anymore!” Jin suddenly flung her over his shoulder and chucked her onto his bed, emitting a loud string of protests from her. Maki’s protests were cut short when Jin suddenly planted a rough kiss on her, while pinning her to the bed with his legs on either side of her. He laid her on the bed and kissed her gently this time, putting all the love he had for her in this one kiss. “Jin…” Maki breathed out when he finally pulled back to look at her intensely. Jin laid his head on her shoulder gently. “You have no idea how bad I want you right now.” “Then do it.” Jin whipped his head up to meet her eyes, seeing nothing there but unconditional love. “Are you sure?” Maki nodded. “Make me completely yours.” He leaned down to connect their lips once more. “I’ll be gentle.” Jin mumbled against her lips and Maki nodded once more, not sure that her voice would hold up.

That night, two hearts found each other once again.

-In the morning-

Jin woke up first, which was a rarity because Maki was usually the one who woke up first. He looked over to see her still peacefully sleeping, gently cradled in his embrace. Her hair was strewn about her shoulder and the bed sheet pulled up all the way, making her only more beautiful to him. He gave a sigh of content and pulled her tighter into his embrace, keeping her warm with his body. Jin watched her sleep for an hour until she finally started stirring. Her eyes started fluttering open and she stretched, unconsciously pressing herself closer to Jin. “Morning” he lovingly whispered to her only to receive a sleepy morning in return. Maki’s eyes suddenly snapped open as she remembered the events that occurred the night before.

Jin’s POV

I watched as she pulled the sheets tighter against her body as she suddenly remembered what happened yesterday night. Her face blushed intensely as she muttered another “morning” to me. I pulled her closer to me and pinned her down with my arms as I hovered over her, a mere inch of space between us. “Morning.” I whispered again and she beamed up at me, all traces of shyness disappearing with that one action. Closing the space between, I kissed her long and hard ready to go for another round, if you get my drift. 

Maki’s POV

 Jin was ready to go for another round, which I wouldn’t have minded too much but I knew that I looked like a mess, so I refused to let him love me the way I was looking right now. I gently pushed him away, telling him that I needed to go freshen up but he said that I looked amazing to him. Knowing that my resistance was weakening by the second, I somehow managed to push him away and I got up to take a shower, still holding on to the bed sheets, of course. He grabbed my hand, refusing to let me go. “I’m not going anywhere you know, just going to take a shower. I especially can’t leave your house.” It was meant to be a joke, but the seriousness in his eyes told me he felt different. “Yes, I know that you’ll be here, but will your heart still be here?”

No one’s POV

 Maki lovingly gazed up at his face, seeing all the insecurities for the first time. She climbed back into the bed with him and wrapped her arms around his neck, taking off his necklace and hers before switching them and putting them back on. “There! Now you have my necklace and I have yours. This is a promise that we will always keep each other in our hearts, no matter how far apart we may be in distance, and our hearts will always be united.” Jin smiled back at her, but he wasn’t prepared for what happened next. Maki suddenly straddled him, leaning down to whisper in his ear… “Maybe we should do it a few more times, and then you’ll see if I’ll still love you.” Jin nodded eagerly, geared up and ready to go but Maki just laughed and headed off to the shower.

Jin’s POV

 I just watched her walk to the bathroom, laughing the entire way. If she thought that I was letting her go this easily, she was so wrong. I waited a few minutes, until I was sure that she was completely in the shower before sneaking over there myself. The shower was running and I snuck into the bathroom. Opening the door, I saw that she was already in the shower. 

No one’s POV

Maki was enjoying her shower tremendously. It relaxed and refreshed her. The shower was so relaxing that she didn’t even hear the shower curtain being opened. The next thing she knew she was already pressed against the shower wall with Jin standing protectively over her, seemingly shielding her from the water. Her eyes widened as she realized the position she was in. “What are you doing!?!” Maki screamed at a smirking Jin, totally aware of the fact that she was and defenceless in the shower. “Continuing what you started.” He simply stated before hungrily attacking her neck with his lips. Maki opened to tell him to stop but she quickly regretted that idea when a moan escaped her lips instead. Jin smiled against her neck, knowing that she was totally giving in. He pulled away, noticing how she was disappointed by this. “Do you still want me to leave?” He asked knowing completely what the answer was. Maki blushed intensely before shaking her head, telling him no. “That’s what I thought” Jin whispered against her lips before giving it a quick kiss. He lifted up her legs before quickly entering her. Maki gasped at the sudden intrusion and she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his shoulder

These two didn’t come out of the shower for an hour.