Alice Nine Saga
Title: Enter Dani...
Rating: PG13
Pairing: Alice Nine, OC
Genre: fluff
Beta:
Summary: read to find out
Word Count: 8413
Author: hannah_arashi
A/N: Hope you all like it, this is part of my Alice Nine fic saga so comments are loved
She looked around the airport and sighed for the umpteenth time that day. Her little dog poked its head out of the carrier bag and whined. Smiling down at her she laughed and patted her head.
“It’s ok Mocca~ I’m just a little frustrated cause Mai-chan isn’t going to be able to pick me up. But I guess maybe I should have called beforehand instead of just showing up unannounced. Oh well~ I have a key to her place and she left me instructions on what to do…”
Taking a deep breath she grabbed her bags and made her way to the front to find a taxi. It took her a few times before someone would finally stop. Being a foreigner, some people simply pretended she wasn’t there in favor of Japanese patrons. When she sat down in the cab that finally did stop for her she was greeted by a kind driver who spoke laughably bad English. She let him say his peace before she interrupted him and gave him the directions to her new home.
“Please take me to this address will you?”
“Ah~ You speak impeccable Japanese! Is this your first time here?”
“No~ My sister lives here and I am coming to stay with her. And thank you~ I studied very hard to learn the language. If it’s not too much trouble could we get going?”
The cabby smiled brightly, and after apologizing for the interruption he set off. She watched as the city lights went past and smiled. The last time she had come to Japan it had been for her brothers’ marriage, where she had met his wife and her best friend who had become like a sister to her. The whole family was very open to her even though she didn’t speak Japanese at the time. After embarrassing herself once she swore that she would study hard and learn the language. She managed to accomplish this task and after completing her masters in Japanese Language and digital design. Now that she was finished she had decided to come to the land of the rising sun, home of technology central. After almost a two hour ride she finally arrived at the apartment and had to shake herself awake. She slid her credit card into the cabby’s reader and after he printed her receipt she got out and gathered her bags. Once she was certain she had everything she thanked him once again and went into the building in front of her. Mai’s apartment was up on the fifth floor, and thankfully there was an elevator. She unlocked the door and walked into the dark apartment. She expected to see Kai waiting for her but the little monster didn’t come forth. Frowning, she locked the door behind her and entered the apartment. Everything was exactly as she remembered, except for a few pictures that weren’t there before. Deciding to look around later she set Mocca down to let her explore her new home.
After a few minutes she found a note on the counter beside the telephone. It was written in Mai’s neat script, in perfect English. Smiling at the older woman’s concern for her she smiled. The letter was full of joy and love.
Danielle,
I am so glad you have finally accepted my offer to come stay with me. I am afraid I will be in Rome for a few more weeks after you arrive but I will be home soon. There are many things I cannot wait to tell you but for now I hope you enjoy the apartment. Feel free to play around with the piano. Also the living room furniture can be moved if you choose to practice dance. I am afraid my violins are off limits as usual so I hope you brought your own. Kai is staying with a friend while I am gone but since you are there now I think it will be safe to bring him home. I have arranged for you to go to meet the guys. I remember you saying you like Alice Nine so I took the liberty of signing you up for the fanclub. As such there is a fanclub event which you are invited to the first weekend you are home. Please enjoy yourself and make plenty of friends. You will be picking up Kai there so please be on the lookout. I believe that is everything but if you have any dire questions feel free to call me.
Love, Mai
Dani was in shock as she read through the letter a few more times. Mai was an incredible woman for only being a few years older than her. She had prepared everything for Dani’s arrival without ever letting her know. Shaking her head, she marveled at the older woman’s power of perception. Dani chuckled and after picking Mocca up waltzed back towards her bedroom. There she found all of her suitcases that she had sent ahead of time, nicely stored and waiting for her. There were also supplies on the bed for her to hang up things on the wall without doing any damage. She pulled out her computer and after setting it up on the desk to play her music it was time to unpack. Several hours later she was completely done. All her clothes were both in the wardrobe and the closet, her design equipment was all set up and ready to go next to her laptop and her room was covered in posters. Some she had designed herself and the others were of bands that she admired. Smiling at the contrast between her room and the rest of the apartment she couldn’t help but laugh. She was going to officially turn Mai’s calm little world upside down. Turning off the music finally she heard the answering machine beeping. Running out into the living room she saw the light blinking quickly. The caller id said that there were three missed calls. Deciding to figure out who it was she hit the repeat button.
“First message: Dani, can you hear me? It’s Mai! I hope you got in alright and you found my note right? Do me a favor and try to keep your posters OUT of the living room. I love you but I can only do a little change at a time. I’ll be tired after I get home so I really don’t want to have a heart attack… hahahaha… anyway~ there is money in the fridge for you to go shopping with but I told Master you would stop by at least one morning… End of Message.
Next message: Stupid Fucking Phone!!!! Ugh… anyway I was saying I called Master and he will be expecting to see you sometime after you get in. Don’t let the utter disregard for anything moving distract you, he really is very kind and he loves dogs so feel free to take Mocca. Also at the fan event just be yourself. Everyone is really nice and well~ you’ll see! Have fun these next few weeks and so help me god if you trash my apartment I will murder you~ Love you and see you in a few weeks! … End of Message.
Next Message: ……… Welcome home, please come by the café… End of message.”
Dani laughed hysterically at the messages left for her. The last undoubtedly was from the café owner. She remembered meeting him the last time she was here and feeling like she had never met such a strange individual. Mai was exactly as she remembered, calm and collected. Even when she threatened another person she did it with a smile. The two couldn’t be more opposite which was probably why they got along so well. Where Mai was your typical petite, quiet Japanese woman she was loud, obnoxious and American. They were about the same height and build but their styles were so drastically different that neither one would ever dream of sharing a wardrobe. Dani’s hair was naturally curly and dyed a multitude of colors. She wore her brown hair in a pixie cut highlighted with streaks of pink, purple and black. Oddly enough the look suited her so people never thought twice about it once meeting her. Wiping away the tears from laughing so much she picked up Mocca and curled up on the couch. Jet lag was starting to catch up with her and before she knew it the pair had passed out on the couch. Dani woke up a few hours later, turned off the TV and carried Mocca into her room where they both fell back asleep.
She woke up the next morning with Mocca whining at her to go out. Yawning she rolled out of bed and after fixing her hair and getting dressed she grabbed all her essentials. She grabbed the money from the fridge, deciding it was best to go shopping sooner rather than later. After stuffing the wad of cash in her wallet she made sure she had her keys and cell phone. Mocca waited impatiently by the door for her. She put up a little fuss about putting her harness on but once that was over they were out the door. They jogged around the neighborhood for a little bit, trying to get a lay of the land. The café was right down the road so she decided that she would stop in the next morning. First things first however she looked around for a grocery store. She finally found one after about fifteen minutes of searching. It was only a few minutes walked from the apartment but was the opposite direction of the café. Smiling as she entered she was greeted by an elderly woman. Dani bowed politely and tried to explain her situation to the woman. All she managed to get out was ‘just moved and no food’ and the little old woman began dragging her around the mart. She pulled out the freshest ingredients Dani had ever seen, at the most affordable price she had ever seen. Apparently everyone was expecting her because as she was checking out the older woman smiled and said ‘Mai-san is so excited you are here~’. She flushed at the praise but couldn’t get out of accepting the young clerk’s offer to carry things home for her.
She finally got everything into the apartment after almost two hours of having the old woman and her grandson (apparently) helping her to get enough food to feed an army. Sighing dramatically she carried the bags in one by one and started putting things away. It took her about half an hour to put everything away but once she was done the kitchen truly looked lived in. Mocca had spent the entire time watching her go back and forth between the entryway and the kitchen but now that she was done she demanded attention. Smiling down at her attention whore of a pup she grinned and started playing with her. She spent the rest of the day playing with Mocca and getting used to the home. The next morning she got up early and decided to visit the café. She put Mocca’s harness on and walked her down to the shop. It was smaller than she expected and the motto written on the store window reminded her of a Sunny D commercial. Chuckling she pushed open the door and was greeted brightly. She recognized the tall stoic man at the counter right away. He apparently recognized her as well because he gestured for her to come and sit at the bar. Nodding slightly she made her way inside. When she sat down she was feeling slightly uncomfortable as the owner looked her over. After a few minutes he spoke.
“What do you like to drink? Ken will take your food order…”
“Uh… coffee, strong with cream and sugar. And um~ do you serve waffles?”
The waiter, Ken, laughed and said that they only served English breakfast there so they definitely had waffles. He left to fill the order while the owner carefully got started brewing her coffee. She watched the activity around the café and realized why Mai loved the place so much. It was a very relaxed atmosphere where everyone was welcome. Smiling back at the owner she was surprised when his lips twitched slightly at the sight of Mocca.
“Her name is Mocca. I hope you don’t mind me bringing her here…”
The man actually smiled slightly and shook his head in response before focusing back on her coffee. The meal came right as the coffee was finished and both were set in front of her at the same time. Mocca was also given a little treat of her own. She enjoyed everything immensely but when she went to pay the owner frowned.
“Your money isn’t good here… What else is family for.”
Dani suddenly realized what sort of situation she had gotten into. Not only was she exactly where she wanted to be but she had such a fantastic support group after only having been there for a few days. Smiling brightly she thanked the man and left the place in high spirits. The rest of the day continued in such a manner. Everywhere she went people greeted her warmly and fawned over Mocca. The rest of her week was spent exploring the area and meeting new people. She met the landlord eventually and had to keep a straight face until after she left the building. Mai had told her that as nice as the man was he looked like troll but she hadn’t believed her until then. She met many other people and reveled in Mai’s terrible, albeit apt description of her neighbors. Finally the weekend came and she had to make her way to the train station. Mocca was sad at being left alone but with promises that she would be back soon, and with a friend left the little dog satisfied. Just to ensure she didn’t tear anything up however Dani put up baby gates to keep her only in the living room. Once she was certain that Mocca would stay out of trouble Dani made her way to the fanclub event. She had her ticket gripped close as she approached but tried to remain upbeat. When she arrived and she was greeted warmly and shown to a room where other fans were waiting patiently. A few people came up and greeted her in English but no one assumed she understood Japanese.
After a few minutes the band came in, causing several of the girls present to overreact. Dani rolled her eyes at their behavior and instead decided to make her way around the room. She was a fan of these guys but like most girls, she had a favorite. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going when suddenly she bumped into someone and they both fell down. Before either one could say anything a small dog jumped into her lap and started licking her. She recognized Kai immediately and hugged the dog close.
“Kai-kun~ isshashiburi~ How are you?”
She nuzzled the dog and talked to him before realizing that the person she knocked down was looking at her oddly. She apologized and looked up to find a strict looking woman standing up. Swallowing a lump in her throat she apologized again, holding Kai close. The woman looked at her oddly but simply shrugged and made no move to take the dog away. Dani struggled to her feet and held out a hand to the scary looking woman.
“Ano~ My name is Dani! I’m guessing you know Mai-chan since you had Kai with you. I just moved in with her and she told me I was invited here…”
The woman looked at her sharply before giving a simple nod and walking away. Dani stood there perplexed with what had just happened. She stood where she was, holding Kai against her chest and trying to figure out if the woman she had just met was simply anti-social or just a bitch. Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt since everyone else she had met so far were extremely kind, Dani decided that she was possibly just shy. Meanwhile the members of Alice Nine had all seen the interaction of the two women. Ali had all but frozen up when presented with the newcomer and had simply unloaded Kai onto her without any questions. Hiroto wanted terribly to go over and find out who she was but was busy talking to other fans. Tora had a clear path and decided to use his chance. The others watched him approach the young girl who still wore a look of confusion, while trying to also pay attention to the fans that surrounded them as well.
Dani was so confused by what happened she didn’t notice it when one of the band members came right up to her. She looked up confused when she felt a tap on her shoulder only to be greeted by a smiling man. He grinned brightly and started speaking to her in English so rapidly she forgot how to speak for a second so she responded in Japanese.
“Hello~ how are you today? Are you having fun here at our little event? Who is your little friend here? He is quite adorable~”
“… Ano… Ah~ I’m enjoying myself, thank you… Ahahaha… yes this is Kai. He is my sister’s dog but she is out of the country right now so I was supposed to pick him up to bring him home with me after the event now that I am staying here… Tora-san correct? It’s a pleasure to meet you~ I am a huge fan of the music you all create~”
“Oh you speak Japanese! And very well!! Yes I am Tora… And over there let’s see… Hiroto is in the corner being smothered by fan girls, Shou is the one perched precariously on the chair over there, Saga is…well he is pretty self-explanatory and Nao is… where is leader? OH! Hahahaha he’s over in the middle of the crowd over there~ It’s wonderful to meet a fan from overseas and I’m glad to hear you are enjoying yourself. Feel free to walk around and talk to everyone~ We noticed you were a little dazed after bumping into our manager. She has that effect on people~”
“OH geez that was your manager!! I really should apologize then… But I don’t see her anywhere *sigh* Thanks so much for checking up on me Tora-san~ I guess I will just take your advice and go try and talk to the others too~ Bye~”
Tora grinned as the girl walked off to wander around the room. He was soon assaulted by more relentless girls and guys all wanting to talk with him. Meanwhile Dani wandered around the room and did exactly as she said she would. She first spoke to Hiroto who nearly pounced on her seeing Kai in her arms. Laughing at his antics Dani was quickly assimilated into the group around him and they all enjoyed playing with the puppy. After a little bit she excused herself which cause Hiroto to pout and the other fans to secretly thank her for providing them with an adorable sight. She made her way over to find Nao, who had finally managed to break free from the pack long enough to breathe. He smiled brightly at her and loudly exclaimed how much he loved her hair. The pair spent several minutes discussing what colors and dyes they used and were surprised to learn they used very similar products. She was amused by how loud and exuberant the little man was. She left him to continue being smothered and simply looked over at Saga in awe. He was, as Tora had said, pretty self-explanatory.
While she was busy exploring the room and meeting new people one person was watching her; Shou had seen her when she had entered the room and had a hard time keeping his eyes off her ever since. There was just something about her that seemed to draw him in. From her wild hair to her bright personality, he wanted to get closer to her yet even as she drew closer it seemed like something was always in his way. He sighed for the umpteenth time that evening and was about to approach her when their manager waved from a corner indicating the event was over. Shou let out an exasperated sigh and turned to his audience. Smiling captivatingly he said his goodbyes. The room was full of goodbyes as the members made their way out one way, while the fans filed out the opposite direction. Dani would have followed had the scary lady not approached her and asked her to stay an extra minute. Feeling like it would be rude not to agree Dani simply smiled and waited. Shou saw Ali approach her and decided to take his chance to talk to her as soon as she had left to make sure the other fans had left and were well taken care of. He approached her and tapped her on the shoulder earning him a jump in response. Chuckling at her reaction he apologized quickly.
“I’m sorry about that~ I did not mean to scare you. I didn’t have the chance to meet you earlier so I wanted to take the chance to say hello.”
Dani could hardly believe that Shou was currently standing in front of her. She has resigned herself to not being able to meet the man when everyone had begun clearing out of the room. But to have him standing in front of her now she almost had to remind herself to breathe.
“Ah~ Shou-san… Ahahaha~ Um…. It’s fine I guess I was just a little jumpy after your manager asked me to stay. Um… Dani~ my name is Dani… It’s nice to meet you.”
She felt like hiding her face from view. Not only had she made a stuttering fool of herself but she had also almost passed out in front of the man. Feeling her face flush hotly she tried to not act the fool. Shou thought she was even more addicting in person than she had been across the room. He tried hard not to stare but everything she did seemed to draw him closer to the edge. For a second he wondered if this was how Saga and Nao had felt when they had met their partners but he decided to brush that thought aside for now. He was about to reply when he suddenly heard someone clear their throat behind him. He knew that Ali was probably standing there, with her arms crossed over her chest glowering at the pair. Decided to try and make light of the situation so that Dani wouldn’t be scared off he smiled sheepishly at her.
“Uh oh~ looks like I have made my manager mad; Mah~ it was a real pleasure to meet you Dani. I hope to see you at more events…”
“Oh! Um… yes I will certainly try to come to more.”
She watched as Shou left to join the other members and cocked her head to the side. He had been acting strangely but she had no time to dwell on that. She turned to face their manager who’s glare had softened into merely a puzzled sort of glance. Deciding to test the waters Dani smiled tentatively which made the taller woman raise her eyebrows but nod in response. Taking that as a good sign she relaxed.
“Uh~ You wanted to speak to me miss…?”
“Ali… You are Mai’s friend correct?”
“I prefer sister but yes… we aren’t blood related but that shouldn’t matter”
“… You are very right. Anyway I just wanted to confirm that you are Danielle who will be moving in with and living with her.”
“hahaha yes~ but please just call me Dani.”
“hmph.. right then, you met everyone?”
“Ah~ um sort of…”
Ali didn’t like that answer so she called the five guys over and had them all properly introduce themselves. Dani was amused by their quick response to the younger woman. She realized that she wasn’t scary, just awkward around strangers. She greeted them all enthusiastically but when it came to Shou she felt a shiver run down her spine as he gripped her hand.
“It was an absolute pleasure to speak to you earlier.”
Reminding herself to breathe properly Dani excused herself and practically ran from the room. Ali had called a taxi for her and already swiped a card for the man to drive her home. Once she was seated and had given her address she sat back and tried to figure out what had just happened. Meanwhile as soon as she left Ali had turned on Shou with a speculative look. He, however, simply ignored his manager for the moment and watched the young girl escape. She was like nothing he had ever experienced before. She had the energy and feel of someone in their industry but reacted so differently. His head was reeling at the difference and yet he craved to know more about her. Before anyone could say anything he turned and left the room. Ali sighed and glanced around at the others.
“Be sure he doesn’t do anything stupid ok?”
The others agreed and Saga took her hand and led her out of the room. As the couple left the other three looked around and sighed. They took a seat in a corner and tried to decipher their vocalists’ strange behavior. Hiroto was the first to throw out an idea.
“Um… perhaps Shou was just feeling strange today?”
Tora snorted and patted Hiroto on the head. The younger man frowned and shook free.
“What?! It’s better than saying he’s head over heels for some girl we know nothing about besides that fact that she’s Nao’s girlfriends’ sister!!!”
There was silence as his words sunk and in and suddenly they all realized that was exactly what was going on. Tora and Nao turned to stare at Hiroto whose mouth had formed an ‘Oh’ as he realized the truth behind his own words. With the trio plotted about how to address the situation Saga was busy keeping Ali’s mind off of work and Shou was thinking about the event. Dani had made it home safely and as soon as she had entered the apartment she was greeted by Mocca’s incessant barking. Running to the living room she found several toys ripped to shreds but thankfully no further damage. She placed Kai in the area to run around and play with Mocca while she cleaned up the graveyard of toys. After she was done picking up stuffing from every corner of the room she put the gates away and settled down on the couch. She was about to sit and watch TV when the phone rang. Heaving a sigh, Dani stood up and walked slowly over before answering.
“”lo?”
“Dani?! Ah~ good I caught you at home! How was the event today? Did you make any friends? Did you like your surprise? How is Kai? Um… did you meet Ali? I probably should have warned you beforehand but she takes a little getting used to. But she is really nice so you’ll have plenty of time to get to know her. Did you meet Shou?”
“Uh… let’s see. Great, yes, yes again, happy to see Mocca, yes and I’ll say, I’ll take your word for it, yes and can I ask you something… How do you know them so well?”
“…………..”
“Onee-san…”
“Hahaha~ I’ll explain everything when I get home ok? I’ll see you in a week, take care!”
Dani sighed and shook her head as the phone disconnected. Her first week in Japan had been enough to completely throw her through a loop but she wasn’t upset about that; only curious how the rest of her time would go. She woke up the next morning to two very hyper puppies wanting to go on a walk. Groaning, she rolled out of bed and got clothes on. When she came out of her room the two monsters were waiting by the front door. Yawning she threw her keys in her pocket and ran out the door. They jogged down the sidewalk until they came to a park. Once there she walked them in the crisp morning air. She was so taken with the atmosphere that she didn’t see the person on the pathway until she had already walked right into them. Shou was glancing around the park apprehensively. The others had been acting weird since the other day and he had decided to take a break to get away from them. He wasn’t paying attention and when he turned to continue down the path he ran right into a young woman. The pair fell down in a tangle of limbs and Shou found himself on the ground with the young woman from the other day lying on top of him.
Dani tried to push herself up and apologize at the same time to the person she had unintentionally run down. The man chuckled and that sound sent shivers down her spine. Glancing up she realized that it was none other than Shou that she was currently on top of. Feeling her face flush bright red she struggled to get off while apologizing profusely. Shou chuckled and helped her to her feet but refused to allow her to step away. Dani felt his hand tighten around her elbow effectively preventing her escape. Glancing down she looked from his hand up to his eyes. There she noticed a spark that caught her interest and made her take a step closer. Before either one could say anything however both pups jumped up on their legs demanding attention. Shou laughed loudly at the pair and bent down to pet them graciously. Dani watched his attitude go from fierce to loving in seconds and it made her head spin. Sensing her confusion Shou glanced up and shrugged.
“I can’t deny these puppies their love~ After all they might just try to tie us together if we ignore them… But that may not be such a bad thing huh?”
She felt her face flush which cause Shou to laugh loudly and grin evilly. Dani was reminded of all the ‘Demon!Shou’ episodes that she had witnessed on the Alice Nine Channels she had seen, which caused her to laugh as well. She gave Shou a light punch in the shoulder before stepping back and smiling gently. He grinned but stayed where he was so as to not scare her off with his advances. Dani smiled and motioned towards the bench behind them before turning on her heel and walking over. Shou smiled as he watched her walk over to the bench. It was then that it suddenly hit him; this was definitely how Saga and Nao must feel. A warm feeling spread through his chest as she followed her over to the bench and sat. At first they sat there in silence before he reached between them and gently took her hand. When she didn’t pull away Shou risked a glance was rewarded with a beautiful sight. She was blushing furiously and looking anywhere but at their now entwined hands. Chuckling Shou leaned over and whispered something in her ear which made Dani gulp but glance at him shyly. She held her chin defiantly before giving him an answer.
“Hrm… is that a promise? You’ll have to prove it to me you know~”
Shou watched as she got up and walked off with the dogs and sighed. When she had disappeared from sight he shut his eyes and leaned against the back of the bench. All of the sudden a shadow fell over him and he opened his eyes to find that she had run back. Feeling confused he could only stare dumbfounded as she kissed his cheek and slipped a piece of paper in his hand before running off again. Glancing down he looked at the paper and saw a phone number written on it. Shou jumped off the bench and shouted in excitement. He didn’t care that someone might see him or think he was weird. He had managed to get her phone number; which meant he was one step closer to possibly winning her heart.
Dani watched from afar as he celebrated; she was slightly apprehensive about giving him her phone number but she’d rather do something she might regret later than do nothing. Chuckling to herself she made her way back to the apartment and got to work. She had taken that first week to get acclimated to the place but now she needed to get down to business. She was working with several different companies on designs for products they were putting out that season. She was also waiting to hear back from Sony whether she had been accepted into their design department. As she sat in front of her work desk working on her current project for who knows how long her mind would occasionally stray to that meeting in the park which caused her to glance at her phone. She had been sitting for almost three hours when suddenly her phone buzzed on the corner of the desk and she had to scramble to catch it. The message there was enough to make the wait worth it.
Dinner? I know you probably haven’t eaten… So how about being Rapunzel and letting me up~
Letting you up?! Where are you???
Outside your apartment building~ We all know where Mai lives so I’m not being creepy ;)
Hahaha~ but you are… hrmm… ok but be warned I know karate if you try anything weird >.<
Shou laughed at the last message and waited patiently. He didn’t have to wait long because a few minutes after he received the last message she came trotting off the elevator. He smiled shyly at her which made her roll her eyes as she ushered him out of the public eye. Over the next week Shou made excuses to come over to see here every chance he got. Dani would roll her eyes every time but would always let him up. There were times when he simply sat there watching her work which at first unnerved her but after the first time she simply accepted it. One night, a week after they had started hanging out they were curled up together watching a movie, rather playing a movie, while sleeping together when the door opened and Mai suddenly came home. She opened the door expecting to have Kai and Mocca run to meet her. Instead she found the lights off with the TV on in the other room. Shaking her head she locked the door behind her and sneaked into the room only to get the surprise of her life. On her couch, Shou was currently asleep with her younger sister curled up next to him. Not sure how to react Mai simply stood there for a few minutes before shooting off a text to Nao that his band mate was sleeping with her younger sister and she wanted to know how the fuck that happened. The response was instantaneous and she was glad her ringer was silent.
“Nao honey… by that I mean they are currently curled up asleep on my couch… Well knowing Dani I would guess this has been going on for at least a week then cause she isn’t one to be THAT close to someone she’s only met once… Oh he did? Hrm… well like I said I think it’s safe to assume they have been seeing each other for at least a week… Mad? No… surprised... oh hell yes~ mah~ I’m just going to sleep and they can explain it to me in the morning… Good night… I love you too~”
She hung up and glanced down at the couple again before switching off the TV and leaving a note warning Shou if he tried to sneak out in the morning she would murder him. She would find out in the morning that she didn’t have anything to worry about since they were still asleep on the couch the next morning but at the time she wanted to warn him. When Mai got up and started her coffee pot the next morning both Dani and Shou stirred and sat up looking around confused. Shou held her close to his chest and went to kiss her when they both heard someone clear their throat. Dani leaned around Shou to see Mai standing in the kitchen waiting for an explanation. She wracked her brain then remembered that she was supposed to be home last night. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. Shou continued to hold her but met Mai’s calm stare before answering the question.
“What can I say? You have a very captivating sister~ In fact, so much so that I couldn’t get her out of my mind after only meeting her once… I was taking a walk to clear my head and happened to… run into her again. And things just happened from there~”
“You realize if you do anything to hurt her…”
“Nee-chan!!! Really?!”
“Shh~ she’s just worried about you. Don’t worry Mai-chan, I love her too much to ever do anything to hurt her… and yes before you ask I can say that after only knowing her a week…”
“*sigh* do me a favor and at least give me fair warning next time… I would have just gone to stay with Nao~ mah~ anyway… I suggest you give it a couple months before you make any attempt to tell Ali… She’s liable to kill you…”
“Hahahaha I know~ I was going to tell the others but maybe you are right…”
Dani laughed and kissed his cheek. She told him that of course they would have to wait a few months before telling their friends anything important. Shou breathed a sigh of relief and stared up at the girl. Mai noticed the look and could recognize someone who was far past smitten. After all that was the same look Saga wore every time he was near Ali and he thought no one was looking. She shook her head and knew that they could wait two days or two months, either way the man wouldn’t change his mind. And for once, she had to admit this was a choice of her sister’s that she fully supported without any doubt. It was a few minutes later that Dani suddenly turned around again. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open.
“Wait just a sec!!! You just said you would just stay with Nao??? Nee-chan what the hell is going on here?!?!?!”
Mai sighed and shook her head in amusement as Shou attempted to alleviate the situation. The next few months included her getting to know the guys better, as Mai had promised while also working harder than ever before. She was hired by Sony to work on the latest installment of the Final Fantasy, as well as to do marketing for the latest PlayStation to be released. Working for the company her fluency in both English and Japanese quickly set her above all competition. She had been working there for a few weeks only and she went from simple designer to marketing team. In order to celebrate her promotion Dani, Mai, Nao and Shou all had dinner at the apartment one night. Nao looked back and forth between the new couple so often that Mai finally had to tell him to stop staring or she might get jealous. As expected his eyes were glued on her the rest of the evening. Mai tried not to laugh as both Shou and Dani thanked her silently. Their interactions continued in this manner over the next few months. The only real difference that Dani noticed besides her growing love for the man was how much calmer Mai grew. This was a good sign because it meant that the older woman not only accepted her decision but approved of it.
One morning on her way into work she received a message that simply made her laugh. She didn’t realize that her coworker was behind her as she chuckled and sent a reply. As soon as the message sent she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up in shock only to find her boss smiling at her. Heaving a sigh of relief she brushed his hand off and berated him for scaring her.
“God Yoshi-san~ are you trying to give me a heart attack?? Geez~”
“Hmph… A youngster such as yourself would only have a heart attack if you lived an unhealthy lifestyle. Anyway the meeting today was cancelled so all you need to do is turn in your portfolio by noon and you can leave. Have a nice date with your boyfriend, Dani-san”
Dani shook her head and disbelief at the older man. He treated her much like a father would and teased her unmercifully for having a boyfriend. In fact even if it was just Mai asking what she wanted for dinner he always made cracks about it being her loyal boyfriend texting her all the time. Shaking her head again she walked up to the design department and sat at her desk. She had almost finished her portfolio the other day, so all she had to do was put a few finishing touches on some of the sketches. Within 30 minutes she was done and out the door, smiling because she was being paid for an entire days’ work. As she skipped down the street towards the train station she thought back to the message and grinned. She always met Shou for lunch if he had time and today was no different. She was glad that her work required business dress however because the name of the restaurant he sent her sounded fancy. She rode the train further into downtown before getting off at the Shibuya station. Their recording studio was close by so he had taken his lunch break somewhere close this time. As she made her way through the streets towards the restaurant she had no clue what was waiting for her.
Meanwhile Mai was waiting impatiently at the front of the restaurant for her to show up. Shou had texted her out of the blue and told her to meet Dani at the front of this restaurant at a certain time. Naturally she was early so now all she could do was sit and wait. He had the others inside already and was stalling for time. Nao had helped by saying that he invited Mai so they were waiting for her. Ali was suspicious but she knew from years of working with the guys, they wouldn’t do anything that was too stupid in broad daylight. No, they always saved the really stupid stuff for after dark, and it was usually her husband at the head of the pack. So she relaxed thinking that they wouldn’t do anything stupid. Later she would realize time that she really gave them too much benefit of the doubt, but this too would pass.
Dani had been walking for about ten minutes when she noticed the sign for the restaurant. As she approached she recognized a harried young woman standing outside and looking around.
“Nee-san? What are you doing here?”
“Ah~ Dani! Good, you finally made it… Don’t ask question just follow me. So help me god I am going to kill that man…”
The last part was muttered darkly and Dani decided it was probably best to follow the older woman quietly. She led her through the place to a back area that was quiet and away from the public. Clearly a VIP section Dani was puzzled as to why they were sitting back there. But the dark look on Mai’s face reminded her to just keep her mouth shut and follow. They made their way down a corridor to a small room at the end. On the other side of the door she heard laughter and suddenly realization dawned on her. Everything made sense now and she wanted to do nothing more than to strangle Shou. He had realized early on that if he asked her something when she was either tired or distracted he could easily get her to do things she might not want to. This was one of those things. She was so afraid of angering their manager that she had been putting off his suggestion that they tell the others. So the other night when she was curled up on his side half asleep he had brought up the topic again. All she could remember was him saying something about the band, lunch and would be fun. She had of course agreed and then again that morning when he texted the address with the message “Don’t forget your promise~” she had simply assumed it was their normal lunch. As they waited outside the door Mai glanced over and saw the realization dawn on the younger girls’ face. Chuckling she placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered to her.
“Kill him later ne~ Let’s just make sure Ali doesn’t try to kill herself for now… After all Saga would be distraught.”
Dani nodded her head and followed Mai through the door after she knocked to announce their presence. The room quieted as they entered and six pairs of eyes turned to stare. Nao smiled brightly and gestured at the seat next to him. Shou hid a smirk behind his hand which caught attention from both Tora and Hiroto. Saga was too busy watching Ali apprehensively to notice the vocalist. And Ali had frowned as soon as the two women had walked in together. One glance around the room told her everything that she needed to know and she simply hung her head in defeat. As Mai went to greet Nao, Dani stood in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. After a few minutes she heard a resigned voice speak up.
“Don’t just stand there Dani-san~ I am sure Shou is waiting for you to sit with him…”
She turned to blink in surprise at Ali who had one elbow propped up on the table and was busy rubbing away a headache. She felt bad for the other woman who was clearly not ready to deal with such a big issue. Still she didn’t move, which caused the other woman to look up and smile gently.
“Don’t worry~ I’m not mad at you and I’m really not mad at him… After all I knew it the moment I saw him talking to you… *sigh* I just wish ya’ll would give me some sort of fricking warning… Especially you Mai!!”
The older woman simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. Dani felt a sudden presence beside her and looked up to find Shou grinning broadly. She let him lead her to a seat next to him without much fuss. She was stopped a few times, once by Tora who greeted her warmly and then by Hiroto who asked when she was going to bring the puppies to play with Mogu. Only after promising to set up a puppy play date did she finally sit down. Even then she looked up and found Saga staring across the table at her which caused her face to flush red. Shou laughed outright and threw an arm around her shoulder comfortingly before addressing his friend.
“Don’t scare her Saga~ She’s not as tough as she looks~”
This earned him a jab to the ribs which naturally caused everyone to laugh. Soon the atmosphere was light and friendly and all tension was gone. Ali still had a resigned look on her face, but after being told that it was natural Dani finally decided to let it go. The others asked her about her work and were interested when they heard that she was doing. They teased Shou for finding the only girl who could possibly help him fulfill his final fantasy dreams. She laughed outright and told them at he had already asked her to draw him a picture of Cloud. The others found this hysterical while Shou pouted beside her. Noticing how cute he was smiled and kissed him on the cheek so quickly that others almost wondered if they had really seen it. But judging by the massive grin on the man’s face they knew it had happened. The rest of the afternoon was full of good natured teasing among the men as well as exasperated sighs and knowing looks from the women. All in all it was a lot of fun and as everyone got up to leave towards the end Dani sighed. This of course earned her a massive group hug that both Mai and Ali dared the men to try and drag them into. Only the threat of bodily harm was enough to keep them at bay. Dani laughed as she was welcomed into the Alice Nine family. As she sat watching everyone leave from her spot at Shou side she smiled up at the man goofily.
“You have a really great group of friends~”
“Hmm… They are my friends and my family... And they are yours now too~”
“I know… which is why I am going to get them to tell me ALL you little secrets… Tora-san! Hiroto! Hahaha wait up!”
Shou stared in shock for a few seconds as her words and actions registered before running out after her. He chased her through the empty restaurant out to where the others were waiting. Even as he made it outside she was hiding between a laughing Tora and Hiroto. Ali was hiding a smirk behind her hand while Saga was doubled over with laughter. Mai and Nao simply sat perched on the ledge outside the restaurant watching in amusement. Shou leaped forward causing Dani to scream and run away from the group. He caught her after a few minutes and swung her around to snuggle against his chest. She could feel his laughter reverberate through his chest as she grinned up at him. Hearing someone mutter behind her she chuckled and the two turned with equally mischievous grins.
“You’re right Ali~ Things will NEVER be boring now~”
Rating: PG13
Pairing: Alice Nine, OC
Genre: fluff
Beta:
Summary: read to find out
Word Count: 8413
Author: hannah_arashi
A/N: Hope you all like it, this is part of my Alice Nine fic saga so comments are loved
She looked around the airport and sighed for the umpteenth time that day. Her little dog poked its head out of the carrier bag and whined. Smiling down at her she laughed and patted her head.
“It’s ok Mocca~ I’m just a little frustrated cause Mai-chan isn’t going to be able to pick me up. But I guess maybe I should have called beforehand instead of just showing up unannounced. Oh well~ I have a key to her place and she left me instructions on what to do…”
Taking a deep breath she grabbed her bags and made her way to the front to find a taxi. It took her a few times before someone would finally stop. Being a foreigner, some people simply pretended she wasn’t there in favor of Japanese patrons. When she sat down in the cab that finally did stop for her she was greeted by a kind driver who spoke laughably bad English. She let him say his peace before she interrupted him and gave him the directions to her new home.
“Please take me to this address will you?”
“Ah~ You speak impeccable Japanese! Is this your first time here?”
“No~ My sister lives here and I am coming to stay with her. And thank you~ I studied very hard to learn the language. If it’s not too much trouble could we get going?”
The cabby smiled brightly, and after apologizing for the interruption he set off. She watched as the city lights went past and smiled. The last time she had come to Japan it had been for her brothers’ marriage, where she had met his wife and her best friend who had become like a sister to her. The whole family was very open to her even though she didn’t speak Japanese at the time. After embarrassing herself once she swore that she would study hard and learn the language. She managed to accomplish this task and after completing her masters in Japanese Language and digital design. Now that she was finished she had decided to come to the land of the rising sun, home of technology central. After almost a two hour ride she finally arrived at the apartment and had to shake herself awake. She slid her credit card into the cabby’s reader and after he printed her receipt she got out and gathered her bags. Once she was certain she had everything she thanked him once again and went into the building in front of her. Mai’s apartment was up on the fifth floor, and thankfully there was an elevator. She unlocked the door and walked into the dark apartment. She expected to see Kai waiting for her but the little monster didn’t come forth. Frowning, she locked the door behind her and entered the apartment. Everything was exactly as she remembered, except for a few pictures that weren’t there before. Deciding to look around later she set Mocca down to let her explore her new home.
After a few minutes she found a note on the counter beside the telephone. It was written in Mai’s neat script, in perfect English. Smiling at the older woman’s concern for her she smiled. The letter was full of joy and love.
Danielle,
I am so glad you have finally accepted my offer to come stay with me. I am afraid I will be in Rome for a few more weeks after you arrive but I will be home soon. There are many things I cannot wait to tell you but for now I hope you enjoy the apartment. Feel free to play around with the piano. Also the living room furniture can be moved if you choose to practice dance. I am afraid my violins are off limits as usual so I hope you brought your own. Kai is staying with a friend while I am gone but since you are there now I think it will be safe to bring him home. I have arranged for you to go to meet the guys. I remember you saying you like Alice Nine so I took the liberty of signing you up for the fanclub. As such there is a fanclub event which you are invited to the first weekend you are home. Please enjoy yourself and make plenty of friends. You will be picking up Kai there so please be on the lookout. I believe that is everything but if you have any dire questions feel free to call me.
Love, Mai
Dani was in shock as she read through the letter a few more times. Mai was an incredible woman for only being a few years older than her. She had prepared everything for Dani’s arrival without ever letting her know. Shaking her head, she marveled at the older woman’s power of perception. Dani chuckled and after picking Mocca up waltzed back towards her bedroom. There she found all of her suitcases that she had sent ahead of time, nicely stored and waiting for her. There were also supplies on the bed for her to hang up things on the wall without doing any damage. She pulled out her computer and after setting it up on the desk to play her music it was time to unpack. Several hours later she was completely done. All her clothes were both in the wardrobe and the closet, her design equipment was all set up and ready to go next to her laptop and her room was covered in posters. Some she had designed herself and the others were of bands that she admired. Smiling at the contrast between her room and the rest of the apartment she couldn’t help but laugh. She was going to officially turn Mai’s calm little world upside down. Turning off the music finally she heard the answering machine beeping. Running out into the living room she saw the light blinking quickly. The caller id said that there were three missed calls. Deciding to figure out who it was she hit the repeat button.
“First message: Dani, can you hear me? It’s Mai! I hope you got in alright and you found my note right? Do me a favor and try to keep your posters OUT of the living room. I love you but I can only do a little change at a time. I’ll be tired after I get home so I really don’t want to have a heart attack… hahahaha… anyway~ there is money in the fridge for you to go shopping with but I told Master you would stop by at least one morning… End of Message.
Next message: Stupid Fucking Phone!!!! Ugh… anyway I was saying I called Master and he will be expecting to see you sometime after you get in. Don’t let the utter disregard for anything moving distract you, he really is very kind and he loves dogs so feel free to take Mocca. Also at the fan event just be yourself. Everyone is really nice and well~ you’ll see! Have fun these next few weeks and so help me god if you trash my apartment I will murder you~ Love you and see you in a few weeks! … End of Message.
Next Message: ……… Welcome home, please come by the café… End of message.”
Dani laughed hysterically at the messages left for her. The last undoubtedly was from the café owner. She remembered meeting him the last time she was here and feeling like she had never met such a strange individual. Mai was exactly as she remembered, calm and collected. Even when she threatened another person she did it with a smile. The two couldn’t be more opposite which was probably why they got along so well. Where Mai was your typical petite, quiet Japanese woman she was loud, obnoxious and American. They were about the same height and build but their styles were so drastically different that neither one would ever dream of sharing a wardrobe. Dani’s hair was naturally curly and dyed a multitude of colors. She wore her brown hair in a pixie cut highlighted with streaks of pink, purple and black. Oddly enough the look suited her so people never thought twice about it once meeting her. Wiping away the tears from laughing so much she picked up Mocca and curled up on the couch. Jet lag was starting to catch up with her and before she knew it the pair had passed out on the couch. Dani woke up a few hours later, turned off the TV and carried Mocca into her room where they both fell back asleep.
She woke up the next morning with Mocca whining at her to go out. Yawning she rolled out of bed and after fixing her hair and getting dressed she grabbed all her essentials. She grabbed the money from the fridge, deciding it was best to go shopping sooner rather than later. After stuffing the wad of cash in her wallet she made sure she had her keys and cell phone. Mocca waited impatiently by the door for her. She put up a little fuss about putting her harness on but once that was over they were out the door. They jogged around the neighborhood for a little bit, trying to get a lay of the land. The café was right down the road so she decided that she would stop in the next morning. First things first however she looked around for a grocery store. She finally found one after about fifteen minutes of searching. It was only a few minutes walked from the apartment but was the opposite direction of the café. Smiling as she entered she was greeted by an elderly woman. Dani bowed politely and tried to explain her situation to the woman. All she managed to get out was ‘just moved and no food’ and the little old woman began dragging her around the mart. She pulled out the freshest ingredients Dani had ever seen, at the most affordable price she had ever seen. Apparently everyone was expecting her because as she was checking out the older woman smiled and said ‘Mai-san is so excited you are here~’. She flushed at the praise but couldn’t get out of accepting the young clerk’s offer to carry things home for her.
She finally got everything into the apartment after almost two hours of having the old woman and her grandson (apparently) helping her to get enough food to feed an army. Sighing dramatically she carried the bags in one by one and started putting things away. It took her about half an hour to put everything away but once she was done the kitchen truly looked lived in. Mocca had spent the entire time watching her go back and forth between the entryway and the kitchen but now that she was done she demanded attention. Smiling down at her attention whore of a pup she grinned and started playing with her. She spent the rest of the day playing with Mocca and getting used to the home. The next morning she got up early and decided to visit the café. She put Mocca’s harness on and walked her down to the shop. It was smaller than she expected and the motto written on the store window reminded her of a Sunny D commercial. Chuckling she pushed open the door and was greeted brightly. She recognized the tall stoic man at the counter right away. He apparently recognized her as well because he gestured for her to come and sit at the bar. Nodding slightly she made her way inside. When she sat down she was feeling slightly uncomfortable as the owner looked her over. After a few minutes he spoke.
“What do you like to drink? Ken will take your food order…”
“Uh… coffee, strong with cream and sugar. And um~ do you serve waffles?”
The waiter, Ken, laughed and said that they only served English breakfast there so they definitely had waffles. He left to fill the order while the owner carefully got started brewing her coffee. She watched the activity around the café and realized why Mai loved the place so much. It was a very relaxed atmosphere where everyone was welcome. Smiling back at the owner she was surprised when his lips twitched slightly at the sight of Mocca.
“Her name is Mocca. I hope you don’t mind me bringing her here…”
The man actually smiled slightly and shook his head in response before focusing back on her coffee. The meal came right as the coffee was finished and both were set in front of her at the same time. Mocca was also given a little treat of her own. She enjoyed everything immensely but when she went to pay the owner frowned.
“Your money isn’t good here… What else is family for.”
Dani suddenly realized what sort of situation she had gotten into. Not only was she exactly where she wanted to be but she had such a fantastic support group after only having been there for a few days. Smiling brightly she thanked the man and left the place in high spirits. The rest of the day continued in such a manner. Everywhere she went people greeted her warmly and fawned over Mocca. The rest of her week was spent exploring the area and meeting new people. She met the landlord eventually and had to keep a straight face until after she left the building. Mai had told her that as nice as the man was he looked like troll but she hadn’t believed her until then. She met many other people and reveled in Mai’s terrible, albeit apt description of her neighbors. Finally the weekend came and she had to make her way to the train station. Mocca was sad at being left alone but with promises that she would be back soon, and with a friend left the little dog satisfied. Just to ensure she didn’t tear anything up however Dani put up baby gates to keep her only in the living room. Once she was certain that Mocca would stay out of trouble Dani made her way to the fanclub event. She had her ticket gripped close as she approached but tried to remain upbeat. When she arrived and she was greeted warmly and shown to a room where other fans were waiting patiently. A few people came up and greeted her in English but no one assumed she understood Japanese.
After a few minutes the band came in, causing several of the girls present to overreact. Dani rolled her eyes at their behavior and instead decided to make her way around the room. She was a fan of these guys but like most girls, she had a favorite. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going when suddenly she bumped into someone and they both fell down. Before either one could say anything a small dog jumped into her lap and started licking her. She recognized Kai immediately and hugged the dog close.
“Kai-kun~ isshashiburi~ How are you?”
She nuzzled the dog and talked to him before realizing that the person she knocked down was looking at her oddly. She apologized and looked up to find a strict looking woman standing up. Swallowing a lump in her throat she apologized again, holding Kai close. The woman looked at her oddly but simply shrugged and made no move to take the dog away. Dani struggled to her feet and held out a hand to the scary looking woman.
“Ano~ My name is Dani! I’m guessing you know Mai-chan since you had Kai with you. I just moved in with her and she told me I was invited here…”
The woman looked at her sharply before giving a simple nod and walking away. Dani stood there perplexed with what had just happened. She stood where she was, holding Kai against her chest and trying to figure out if the woman she had just met was simply anti-social or just a bitch. Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt since everyone else she had met so far were extremely kind, Dani decided that she was possibly just shy. Meanwhile the members of Alice Nine had all seen the interaction of the two women. Ali had all but frozen up when presented with the newcomer and had simply unloaded Kai onto her without any questions. Hiroto wanted terribly to go over and find out who she was but was busy talking to other fans. Tora had a clear path and decided to use his chance. The others watched him approach the young girl who still wore a look of confusion, while trying to also pay attention to the fans that surrounded them as well.
Dani was so confused by what happened she didn’t notice it when one of the band members came right up to her. She looked up confused when she felt a tap on her shoulder only to be greeted by a smiling man. He grinned brightly and started speaking to her in English so rapidly she forgot how to speak for a second so she responded in Japanese.
“Hello~ how are you today? Are you having fun here at our little event? Who is your little friend here? He is quite adorable~”
“… Ano… Ah~ I’m enjoying myself, thank you… Ahahaha… yes this is Kai. He is my sister’s dog but she is out of the country right now so I was supposed to pick him up to bring him home with me after the event now that I am staying here… Tora-san correct? It’s a pleasure to meet you~ I am a huge fan of the music you all create~”
“Oh you speak Japanese! And very well!! Yes I am Tora… And over there let’s see… Hiroto is in the corner being smothered by fan girls, Shou is the one perched precariously on the chair over there, Saga is…well he is pretty self-explanatory and Nao is… where is leader? OH! Hahahaha he’s over in the middle of the crowd over there~ It’s wonderful to meet a fan from overseas and I’m glad to hear you are enjoying yourself. Feel free to walk around and talk to everyone~ We noticed you were a little dazed after bumping into our manager. She has that effect on people~”
“OH geez that was your manager!! I really should apologize then… But I don’t see her anywhere *sigh* Thanks so much for checking up on me Tora-san~ I guess I will just take your advice and go try and talk to the others too~ Bye~”
Tora grinned as the girl walked off to wander around the room. He was soon assaulted by more relentless girls and guys all wanting to talk with him. Meanwhile Dani wandered around the room and did exactly as she said she would. She first spoke to Hiroto who nearly pounced on her seeing Kai in her arms. Laughing at his antics Dani was quickly assimilated into the group around him and they all enjoyed playing with the puppy. After a little bit she excused herself which cause Hiroto to pout and the other fans to secretly thank her for providing them with an adorable sight. She made her way over to find Nao, who had finally managed to break free from the pack long enough to breathe. He smiled brightly at her and loudly exclaimed how much he loved her hair. The pair spent several minutes discussing what colors and dyes they used and were surprised to learn they used very similar products. She was amused by how loud and exuberant the little man was. She left him to continue being smothered and simply looked over at Saga in awe. He was, as Tora had said, pretty self-explanatory.
While she was busy exploring the room and meeting new people one person was watching her; Shou had seen her when she had entered the room and had a hard time keeping his eyes off her ever since. There was just something about her that seemed to draw him in. From her wild hair to her bright personality, he wanted to get closer to her yet even as she drew closer it seemed like something was always in his way. He sighed for the umpteenth time that evening and was about to approach her when their manager waved from a corner indicating the event was over. Shou let out an exasperated sigh and turned to his audience. Smiling captivatingly he said his goodbyes. The room was full of goodbyes as the members made their way out one way, while the fans filed out the opposite direction. Dani would have followed had the scary lady not approached her and asked her to stay an extra minute. Feeling like it would be rude not to agree Dani simply smiled and waited. Shou saw Ali approach her and decided to take his chance to talk to her as soon as she had left to make sure the other fans had left and were well taken care of. He approached her and tapped her on the shoulder earning him a jump in response. Chuckling at her reaction he apologized quickly.
“I’m sorry about that~ I did not mean to scare you. I didn’t have the chance to meet you earlier so I wanted to take the chance to say hello.”
Dani could hardly believe that Shou was currently standing in front of her. She has resigned herself to not being able to meet the man when everyone had begun clearing out of the room. But to have him standing in front of her now she almost had to remind herself to breathe.
“Ah~ Shou-san… Ahahaha~ Um…. It’s fine I guess I was just a little jumpy after your manager asked me to stay. Um… Dani~ my name is Dani… It’s nice to meet you.”
She felt like hiding her face from view. Not only had she made a stuttering fool of herself but she had also almost passed out in front of the man. Feeling her face flush hotly she tried to not act the fool. Shou thought she was even more addicting in person than she had been across the room. He tried hard not to stare but everything she did seemed to draw him closer to the edge. For a second he wondered if this was how Saga and Nao had felt when they had met their partners but he decided to brush that thought aside for now. He was about to reply when he suddenly heard someone clear their throat behind him. He knew that Ali was probably standing there, with her arms crossed over her chest glowering at the pair. Decided to try and make light of the situation so that Dani wouldn’t be scared off he smiled sheepishly at her.
“Uh oh~ looks like I have made my manager mad; Mah~ it was a real pleasure to meet you Dani. I hope to see you at more events…”
“Oh! Um… yes I will certainly try to come to more.”
She watched as Shou left to join the other members and cocked her head to the side. He had been acting strangely but she had no time to dwell on that. She turned to face their manager who’s glare had softened into merely a puzzled sort of glance. Deciding to test the waters Dani smiled tentatively which made the taller woman raise her eyebrows but nod in response. Taking that as a good sign she relaxed.
“Uh~ You wanted to speak to me miss…?”
“Ali… You are Mai’s friend correct?”
“I prefer sister but yes… we aren’t blood related but that shouldn’t matter”
“… You are very right. Anyway I just wanted to confirm that you are Danielle who will be moving in with and living with her.”
“hahaha yes~ but please just call me Dani.”
“hmph.. right then, you met everyone?”
“Ah~ um sort of…”
Ali didn’t like that answer so she called the five guys over and had them all properly introduce themselves. Dani was amused by their quick response to the younger woman. She realized that she wasn’t scary, just awkward around strangers. She greeted them all enthusiastically but when it came to Shou she felt a shiver run down her spine as he gripped her hand.
“It was an absolute pleasure to speak to you earlier.”
Reminding herself to breathe properly Dani excused herself and practically ran from the room. Ali had called a taxi for her and already swiped a card for the man to drive her home. Once she was seated and had given her address she sat back and tried to figure out what had just happened. Meanwhile as soon as she left Ali had turned on Shou with a speculative look. He, however, simply ignored his manager for the moment and watched the young girl escape. She was like nothing he had ever experienced before. She had the energy and feel of someone in their industry but reacted so differently. His head was reeling at the difference and yet he craved to know more about her. Before anyone could say anything he turned and left the room. Ali sighed and glanced around at the others.
“Be sure he doesn’t do anything stupid ok?”
The others agreed and Saga took her hand and led her out of the room. As the couple left the other three looked around and sighed. They took a seat in a corner and tried to decipher their vocalists’ strange behavior. Hiroto was the first to throw out an idea.
“Um… perhaps Shou was just feeling strange today?”
Tora snorted and patted Hiroto on the head. The younger man frowned and shook free.
“What?! It’s better than saying he’s head over heels for some girl we know nothing about besides that fact that she’s Nao’s girlfriends’ sister!!!”
There was silence as his words sunk and in and suddenly they all realized that was exactly what was going on. Tora and Nao turned to stare at Hiroto whose mouth had formed an ‘Oh’ as he realized the truth behind his own words. With the trio plotted about how to address the situation Saga was busy keeping Ali’s mind off of work and Shou was thinking about the event. Dani had made it home safely and as soon as she had entered the apartment she was greeted by Mocca’s incessant barking. Running to the living room she found several toys ripped to shreds but thankfully no further damage. She placed Kai in the area to run around and play with Mocca while she cleaned up the graveyard of toys. After she was done picking up stuffing from every corner of the room she put the gates away and settled down on the couch. She was about to sit and watch TV when the phone rang. Heaving a sigh, Dani stood up and walked slowly over before answering.
“”lo?”
“Dani?! Ah~ good I caught you at home! How was the event today? Did you make any friends? Did you like your surprise? How is Kai? Um… did you meet Ali? I probably should have warned you beforehand but she takes a little getting used to. But she is really nice so you’ll have plenty of time to get to know her. Did you meet Shou?”
“Uh… let’s see. Great, yes, yes again, happy to see Mocca, yes and I’ll say, I’ll take your word for it, yes and can I ask you something… How do you know them so well?”
“…………..”
“Onee-san…”
“Hahaha~ I’ll explain everything when I get home ok? I’ll see you in a week, take care!”
Dani sighed and shook her head as the phone disconnected. Her first week in Japan had been enough to completely throw her through a loop but she wasn’t upset about that; only curious how the rest of her time would go. She woke up the next morning to two very hyper puppies wanting to go on a walk. Groaning, she rolled out of bed and got clothes on. When she came out of her room the two monsters were waiting by the front door. Yawning she threw her keys in her pocket and ran out the door. They jogged down the sidewalk until they came to a park. Once there she walked them in the crisp morning air. She was so taken with the atmosphere that she didn’t see the person on the pathway until she had already walked right into them. Shou was glancing around the park apprehensively. The others had been acting weird since the other day and he had decided to take a break to get away from them. He wasn’t paying attention and when he turned to continue down the path he ran right into a young woman. The pair fell down in a tangle of limbs and Shou found himself on the ground with the young woman from the other day lying on top of him.
Dani tried to push herself up and apologize at the same time to the person she had unintentionally run down. The man chuckled and that sound sent shivers down her spine. Glancing up she realized that it was none other than Shou that she was currently on top of. Feeling her face flush bright red she struggled to get off while apologizing profusely. Shou chuckled and helped her to her feet but refused to allow her to step away. Dani felt his hand tighten around her elbow effectively preventing her escape. Glancing down she looked from his hand up to his eyes. There she noticed a spark that caught her interest and made her take a step closer. Before either one could say anything however both pups jumped up on their legs demanding attention. Shou laughed loudly at the pair and bent down to pet them graciously. Dani watched his attitude go from fierce to loving in seconds and it made her head spin. Sensing her confusion Shou glanced up and shrugged.
“I can’t deny these puppies their love~ After all they might just try to tie us together if we ignore them… But that may not be such a bad thing huh?”
She felt her face flush which cause Shou to laugh loudly and grin evilly. Dani was reminded of all the ‘Demon!Shou’ episodes that she had witnessed on the Alice Nine Channels she had seen, which caused her to laugh as well. She gave Shou a light punch in the shoulder before stepping back and smiling gently. He grinned but stayed where he was so as to not scare her off with his advances. Dani smiled and motioned towards the bench behind them before turning on her heel and walking over. Shou smiled as he watched her walk over to the bench. It was then that it suddenly hit him; this was definitely how Saga and Nao must feel. A warm feeling spread through his chest as she followed her over to the bench and sat. At first they sat there in silence before he reached between them and gently took her hand. When she didn’t pull away Shou risked a glance was rewarded with a beautiful sight. She was blushing furiously and looking anywhere but at their now entwined hands. Chuckling Shou leaned over and whispered something in her ear which made Dani gulp but glance at him shyly. She held her chin defiantly before giving him an answer.
“Hrm… is that a promise? You’ll have to prove it to me you know~”
Shou watched as she got up and walked off with the dogs and sighed. When she had disappeared from sight he shut his eyes and leaned against the back of the bench. All of the sudden a shadow fell over him and he opened his eyes to find that she had run back. Feeling confused he could only stare dumbfounded as she kissed his cheek and slipped a piece of paper in his hand before running off again. Glancing down he looked at the paper and saw a phone number written on it. Shou jumped off the bench and shouted in excitement. He didn’t care that someone might see him or think he was weird. He had managed to get her phone number; which meant he was one step closer to possibly winning her heart.
Dani watched from afar as he celebrated; she was slightly apprehensive about giving him her phone number but she’d rather do something she might regret later than do nothing. Chuckling to herself she made her way back to the apartment and got to work. She had taken that first week to get acclimated to the place but now she needed to get down to business. She was working with several different companies on designs for products they were putting out that season. She was also waiting to hear back from Sony whether she had been accepted into their design department. As she sat in front of her work desk working on her current project for who knows how long her mind would occasionally stray to that meeting in the park which caused her to glance at her phone. She had been sitting for almost three hours when suddenly her phone buzzed on the corner of the desk and she had to scramble to catch it. The message there was enough to make the wait worth it.
Dinner? I know you probably haven’t eaten… So how about being Rapunzel and letting me up~
Letting you up?! Where are you???
Outside your apartment building~ We all know where Mai lives so I’m not being creepy ;)
Hahaha~ but you are… hrmm… ok but be warned I know karate if you try anything weird >.<
Shou laughed at the last message and waited patiently. He didn’t have to wait long because a few minutes after he received the last message she came trotting off the elevator. He smiled shyly at her which made her roll her eyes as she ushered him out of the public eye. Over the next week Shou made excuses to come over to see here every chance he got. Dani would roll her eyes every time but would always let him up. There were times when he simply sat there watching her work which at first unnerved her but after the first time she simply accepted it. One night, a week after they had started hanging out they were curled up together watching a movie, rather playing a movie, while sleeping together when the door opened and Mai suddenly came home. She opened the door expecting to have Kai and Mocca run to meet her. Instead she found the lights off with the TV on in the other room. Shaking her head she locked the door behind her and sneaked into the room only to get the surprise of her life. On her couch, Shou was currently asleep with her younger sister curled up next to him. Not sure how to react Mai simply stood there for a few minutes before shooting off a text to Nao that his band mate was sleeping with her younger sister and she wanted to know how the fuck that happened. The response was instantaneous and she was glad her ringer was silent.
“Nao honey… by that I mean they are currently curled up asleep on my couch… Well knowing Dani I would guess this has been going on for at least a week then cause she isn’t one to be THAT close to someone she’s only met once… Oh he did? Hrm… well like I said I think it’s safe to assume they have been seeing each other for at least a week… Mad? No… surprised... oh hell yes~ mah~ I’m just going to sleep and they can explain it to me in the morning… Good night… I love you too~”
She hung up and glanced down at the couple again before switching off the TV and leaving a note warning Shou if he tried to sneak out in the morning she would murder him. She would find out in the morning that she didn’t have anything to worry about since they were still asleep on the couch the next morning but at the time she wanted to warn him. When Mai got up and started her coffee pot the next morning both Dani and Shou stirred and sat up looking around confused. Shou held her close to his chest and went to kiss her when they both heard someone clear their throat. Dani leaned around Shou to see Mai standing in the kitchen waiting for an explanation. She wracked her brain then remembered that she was supposed to be home last night. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. Shou continued to hold her but met Mai’s calm stare before answering the question.
“What can I say? You have a very captivating sister~ In fact, so much so that I couldn’t get her out of my mind after only meeting her once… I was taking a walk to clear my head and happened to… run into her again. And things just happened from there~”
“You realize if you do anything to hurt her…”
“Nee-chan!!! Really?!”
“Shh~ she’s just worried about you. Don’t worry Mai-chan, I love her too much to ever do anything to hurt her… and yes before you ask I can say that after only knowing her a week…”
“*sigh* do me a favor and at least give me fair warning next time… I would have just gone to stay with Nao~ mah~ anyway… I suggest you give it a couple months before you make any attempt to tell Ali… She’s liable to kill you…”
“Hahahaha I know~ I was going to tell the others but maybe you are right…”
Dani laughed and kissed his cheek. She told him that of course they would have to wait a few months before telling their friends anything important. Shou breathed a sigh of relief and stared up at the girl. Mai noticed the look and could recognize someone who was far past smitten. After all that was the same look Saga wore every time he was near Ali and he thought no one was looking. She shook her head and knew that they could wait two days or two months, either way the man wouldn’t change his mind. And for once, she had to admit this was a choice of her sister’s that she fully supported without any doubt. It was a few minutes later that Dani suddenly turned around again. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open.
“Wait just a sec!!! You just said you would just stay with Nao??? Nee-chan what the hell is going on here?!?!?!”
Mai sighed and shook her head in amusement as Shou attempted to alleviate the situation. The next few months included her getting to know the guys better, as Mai had promised while also working harder than ever before. She was hired by Sony to work on the latest installment of the Final Fantasy, as well as to do marketing for the latest PlayStation to be released. Working for the company her fluency in both English and Japanese quickly set her above all competition. She had been working there for a few weeks only and she went from simple designer to marketing team. In order to celebrate her promotion Dani, Mai, Nao and Shou all had dinner at the apartment one night. Nao looked back and forth between the new couple so often that Mai finally had to tell him to stop staring or she might get jealous. As expected his eyes were glued on her the rest of the evening. Mai tried not to laugh as both Shou and Dani thanked her silently. Their interactions continued in this manner over the next few months. The only real difference that Dani noticed besides her growing love for the man was how much calmer Mai grew. This was a good sign because it meant that the older woman not only accepted her decision but approved of it.
One morning on her way into work she received a message that simply made her laugh. She didn’t realize that her coworker was behind her as she chuckled and sent a reply. As soon as the message sent she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up in shock only to find her boss smiling at her. Heaving a sigh of relief she brushed his hand off and berated him for scaring her.
“God Yoshi-san~ are you trying to give me a heart attack?? Geez~”
“Hmph… A youngster such as yourself would only have a heart attack if you lived an unhealthy lifestyle. Anyway the meeting today was cancelled so all you need to do is turn in your portfolio by noon and you can leave. Have a nice date with your boyfriend, Dani-san”
Dani shook her head and disbelief at the older man. He treated her much like a father would and teased her unmercifully for having a boyfriend. In fact even if it was just Mai asking what she wanted for dinner he always made cracks about it being her loyal boyfriend texting her all the time. Shaking her head again she walked up to the design department and sat at her desk. She had almost finished her portfolio the other day, so all she had to do was put a few finishing touches on some of the sketches. Within 30 minutes she was done and out the door, smiling because she was being paid for an entire days’ work. As she skipped down the street towards the train station she thought back to the message and grinned. She always met Shou for lunch if he had time and today was no different. She was glad that her work required business dress however because the name of the restaurant he sent her sounded fancy. She rode the train further into downtown before getting off at the Shibuya station. Their recording studio was close by so he had taken his lunch break somewhere close this time. As she made her way through the streets towards the restaurant she had no clue what was waiting for her.
Meanwhile Mai was waiting impatiently at the front of the restaurant for her to show up. Shou had texted her out of the blue and told her to meet Dani at the front of this restaurant at a certain time. Naturally she was early so now all she could do was sit and wait. He had the others inside already and was stalling for time. Nao had helped by saying that he invited Mai so they were waiting for her. Ali was suspicious but she knew from years of working with the guys, they wouldn’t do anything that was too stupid in broad daylight. No, they always saved the really stupid stuff for after dark, and it was usually her husband at the head of the pack. So she relaxed thinking that they wouldn’t do anything stupid. Later she would realize time that she really gave them too much benefit of the doubt, but this too would pass.
Dani had been walking for about ten minutes when she noticed the sign for the restaurant. As she approached she recognized a harried young woman standing outside and looking around.
“Nee-san? What are you doing here?”
“Ah~ Dani! Good, you finally made it… Don’t ask question just follow me. So help me god I am going to kill that man…”
The last part was muttered darkly and Dani decided it was probably best to follow the older woman quietly. She led her through the place to a back area that was quiet and away from the public. Clearly a VIP section Dani was puzzled as to why they were sitting back there. But the dark look on Mai’s face reminded her to just keep her mouth shut and follow. They made their way down a corridor to a small room at the end. On the other side of the door she heard laughter and suddenly realization dawned on her. Everything made sense now and she wanted to do nothing more than to strangle Shou. He had realized early on that if he asked her something when she was either tired or distracted he could easily get her to do things she might not want to. This was one of those things. She was so afraid of angering their manager that she had been putting off his suggestion that they tell the others. So the other night when she was curled up on his side half asleep he had brought up the topic again. All she could remember was him saying something about the band, lunch and would be fun. She had of course agreed and then again that morning when he texted the address with the message “Don’t forget your promise~” she had simply assumed it was their normal lunch. As they waited outside the door Mai glanced over and saw the realization dawn on the younger girls’ face. Chuckling she placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered to her.
“Kill him later ne~ Let’s just make sure Ali doesn’t try to kill herself for now… After all Saga would be distraught.”
Dani nodded her head and followed Mai through the door after she knocked to announce their presence. The room quieted as they entered and six pairs of eyes turned to stare. Nao smiled brightly and gestured at the seat next to him. Shou hid a smirk behind his hand which caught attention from both Tora and Hiroto. Saga was too busy watching Ali apprehensively to notice the vocalist. And Ali had frowned as soon as the two women had walked in together. One glance around the room told her everything that she needed to know and she simply hung her head in defeat. As Mai went to greet Nao, Dani stood in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. After a few minutes she heard a resigned voice speak up.
“Don’t just stand there Dani-san~ I am sure Shou is waiting for you to sit with him…”
She turned to blink in surprise at Ali who had one elbow propped up on the table and was busy rubbing away a headache. She felt bad for the other woman who was clearly not ready to deal with such a big issue. Still she didn’t move, which caused the other woman to look up and smile gently.
“Don’t worry~ I’m not mad at you and I’m really not mad at him… After all I knew it the moment I saw him talking to you… *sigh* I just wish ya’ll would give me some sort of fricking warning… Especially you Mai!!”
The older woman simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. Dani felt a sudden presence beside her and looked up to find Shou grinning broadly. She let him lead her to a seat next to him without much fuss. She was stopped a few times, once by Tora who greeted her warmly and then by Hiroto who asked when she was going to bring the puppies to play with Mogu. Only after promising to set up a puppy play date did she finally sit down. Even then she looked up and found Saga staring across the table at her which caused her face to flush red. Shou laughed outright and threw an arm around her shoulder comfortingly before addressing his friend.
“Don’t scare her Saga~ She’s not as tough as she looks~”
This earned him a jab to the ribs which naturally caused everyone to laugh. Soon the atmosphere was light and friendly and all tension was gone. Ali still had a resigned look on her face, but after being told that it was natural Dani finally decided to let it go. The others asked her about her work and were interested when they heard that she was doing. They teased Shou for finding the only girl who could possibly help him fulfill his final fantasy dreams. She laughed outright and told them at he had already asked her to draw him a picture of Cloud. The others found this hysterical while Shou pouted beside her. Noticing how cute he was smiled and kissed him on the cheek so quickly that others almost wondered if they had really seen it. But judging by the massive grin on the man’s face they knew it had happened. The rest of the afternoon was full of good natured teasing among the men as well as exasperated sighs and knowing looks from the women. All in all it was a lot of fun and as everyone got up to leave towards the end Dani sighed. This of course earned her a massive group hug that both Mai and Ali dared the men to try and drag them into. Only the threat of bodily harm was enough to keep them at bay. Dani laughed as she was welcomed into the Alice Nine family. As she sat watching everyone leave from her spot at Shou side she smiled up at the man goofily.
“You have a really great group of friends~”
“Hmm… They are my friends and my family... And they are yours now too~”
“I know… which is why I am going to get them to tell me ALL you little secrets… Tora-san! Hiroto! Hahaha wait up!”
Shou stared in shock for a few seconds as her words and actions registered before running out after her. He chased her through the empty restaurant out to where the others were waiting. Even as he made it outside she was hiding between a laughing Tora and Hiroto. Ali was hiding a smirk behind her hand while Saga was doubled over with laughter. Mai and Nao simply sat perched on the ledge outside the restaurant watching in amusement. Shou leaped forward causing Dani to scream and run away from the group. He caught her after a few minutes and swung her around to snuggle against his chest. She could feel his laughter reverberate through his chest as she grinned up at him. Hearing someone mutter behind her she chuckled and the two turned with equally mischievous grins.
“You’re right Ali~ Things will NEVER be boring now~”