A/N: I wanted to say two things before you guys read this. First, the picture on the side if you make her a bit older is how I picture Miku. Secondly, you'll probably hate me for how I end this chapter~ Love you guys~
Edit: I forgot to mention- if you guys don't keep track of my annoucements to my followers, you probably missed this, for which I apologize. I edited the story so that instead of being involved in gymnastics she's involved in dance. The main reason being that I have a plotline in mind that requires this. Trust me, in the long run you'll like the change. 

At first I could only stare. The words seemed to echo in my mind. At the same time, I knew I must have misheard him. After-all, what I thought I’d heard wasn’t possible. It just wasn’t.

Compete again?

Me?

Go back to dancing?

“What?”

Honey’s smile didn’t falter, if anything he seemed amused by my disbelief.

“Nao-chan should compete again,” he repeated.

Mori nodded in agreement and I once again found myself at a loss for words. Something that didn’t normally happen. Honestly, I wasn’t someone who that happened to. I made sure of that. I always, always had a response. Even as that thought crossed my mind, I realized that I didn’t even have a sarcastic one.

He wanted me to compete again? Me, Morioka Nao, rejoin the dance world?

“It’d be a really, really good idea,” Honey added a minute later. “Nao-chan, you do love dancing.”

“I- no, I…” I managed to get out, taking a step back towards the door before stopping myself.

‘A Morioka never runs.’ I could almost hear Uncle’s voice from when he’d drilled those words into my head. It’d been the one statement that I’d never argued with him on. Just because I had no clue what to think- what to say- didn’t mean that I would turn my back on that ideal.

“I quit because I didn’t like it anymore,” I finished lamely. “I won’t go back.”

Uncle Harou and I had made a deal. It wouldn’t be right to ignore that because it was convenient.

“I don’t believe you,” Honey replied cheerily. “It’s not nice to lie.”

“Bu-”

“You love dancing.”

I once again found myself only able to stare at him. Honey’s tone left no room for argument. There was a sense of finality in it that I’d never imagined from him. Then again, as I’d noted earlier, Honey was stubborn. Perhaps it wasn’t that big of a stretch to imagine his childish cheerfulness being able to change so quickly into something that even I could tell wasn’t worth arguing with.

“It’s a competitive sport. I’d never be able to compete at the level I was,” I informed him, my words sounding just as lame to my own ears as my previous protest had.

I needed something stronger than the points I’d been trying to make.

“There’s a competition two months from now,” he replied immediately. “When I mentioned your name they were ecstatic. They’re holding a spot for you in case you want it.”

There wasn’t an argument that I could find beyond the one that was glaringly obvious to me, but neither one of them would have a clue about. It also happened to be the only one I could think of that might have been strong enough to stand up to Honey. Despite how he acted sometimes, I knew that he was smart. If there was a way to defeat my arguments, he’d see it. The one I wouldn’t mention, however, was the same one that had made me quit in the first place.

Uncle hates dance. He would never agree to it.

I was a doll in his eyes, and honestly I almost felt the same way about myself. As I’d said before, there wasn’t one part of me anymore that didn’t fall into that category. I followed orders, played dress up when he wanted me to attend something, and pretended to be the prefect, well-bred daughter. Arguing my side of the matter wouldn’t be something that I would be allowed to do.

Dancing wasn’t an option.

My hesitation must have been obvious. Honey smiled, then pressed play on the remote. I was drawn back to the screen, the swift, graceful motions tugging at feelings I’d buried.

“Honey… Mori… I…”

“It’ll be a secret,” Honey informed me. “Promise. I’ll swallow a thousand needles if I’m lying.”

My lips twitched, almost smiling, as that childish swear left his mouth. Of course that would be how he would promise something that important. I guess, though, he couldn’t know just how important that would be.

Wait, I haven’t agreed to anything.

“Nothing stays a secret for long in our world,” I retorted.

What am I saying?

“This will,” he pressed.

I guess my response must have been all he needed to know for sure what was holding me back, because that smile of his was replaced by seriousness within a split second.

“Only me and Takashi will know,” he added. “I won't even tell Okaasan.”

“That’s impossible. How would you explain me coming over? I wouldn’t be able to do anything at my house- Kimura-san and Otou-san are there.”

Honey grinned and I immediately began berating myself in my head. I wasn’t doing this. If there was one thing I’d always made sure was worth something, it was my word. I’d promised Uncle that I’d quit dance.

I’d done it.

Although... I’d never promised that I could never go back after starting kendo.

I’d never been told that I couldn’t do both.

With that realization, I suddenly felt excitement stirring in my mind.

Uncle and I had made a deal that if I didn’t place I’d quit dance and start kendo. There’d never been anything saying that I couldn’t start up again and do both. I just had to quit it then.

It was a half-assed loophole, but it was a loophole.

If I had a loophole, it wouldn’t really be breaking the deal, would it?

“School project,” Honey provided. “You and Takashi could be working on one!”

Confusion fluttered through me. That was the oldest excuse in the book for sure, but there was something about it that had caught my attention.

“Mori and I? What about you?”

Honey grinned even more. I guess the fact I wasn’t arguing with him had put him in an even better mood than before.

“You don’t want anyone to find out, right? There are less people at Takashi’s house than mine.”

“Kendo,” Mori added suddenly.

Honey and I turned our attentions to him. Mori blinked, his eyes flickering between the two of us. Obviously he hadn’t expected to suddenly be the center of attention.

“I’m the captain,” he added after a moment. “I could be helping…”

The words were hesitant, something unlike Mori. Honey- seeming to be even happier than before- nodded his head eagerly in agreement. Like Mori, I felt hesitant, studying his expression with a bit of curiosity. It was the closest I’d caught him to showing an emotion beyond that faint smile I’d received after diner here the other day. To be completely honest… it was nice to know that I’d been around him enough for him to feel comfortable.

Yet… that emotion itself…

Hesitation wasn’t just it. Embarrassment perhaps? Excitement?I couldn’t place it, and to be honest the only ideas I had didn't seem right. Why would he be embarrassed or excited? I prided myself on being able to read people well, but I couldn’t read him at that moment. It was irritating to say the least.

“That could work…” I answered them finally. The hesitation in my voice must have been obvious. “I mean, if I actually…”

“Great! I’ll go talk to Akira-san!”

I opened my mouth to argue, but within the second Honey had already fled the room. As a result I just ended up staring at the door as it slid shut, my mouth still wide open. Heat flooded into my face within the moment and I quickly snapped it shut, turning my attention to Mori instead. His eyes had moved from the door as well, settling on me with his usual, stoic expression back in place.

“... so I guess I’ll be coming over a lot…” I said after a moment, clearing my voice to try and hide my sudden nervousness.

Nervousness from what, I didn’t know. I just knew that even after all the time I’d spent around Mori since meeting him, the idea of it just being me and him at his house suddenly caused those butterflies to return to my stomach. Mori tensed slightly, but nodded.

Was the feeling not limited to just me?

“Sorry.”

I blinked. Mori didn’t say anything else- just that one word. I couldn’t figure out where it’d come from, or even what had caused it to appear. At the same time I was perfectly aware that Mori didn’t say anything without reason. Being a guy of so few words… well, it just didn’t seem likely.

Why had he apologized?

“Sorry?” I questioned.

Instead of replying, he shrugged, turning his eyes back to the screen. I looked there as well, just in time to seethatmoment. The nationals hadn’t been the first time it’d happened. To be honest, it was a miracle I’d made it there.

At the end of the routine that I’d practiced for weeks… I stumbled.

That was what I was known for most of the time. I always messed up at the most important moments. The press the covered the tournament had commented that it would be what killed my career. If there was something on the line, be it a title, a placing…. my uncle’s approval…. I always stumbled.

The audience came to expect it of me. I expected it of me.

“You guys shouldn’t hold much hope for good results…” I said after a moment. I didn’t dare look at Mori. “It will end the same way.”

“It won’t.”

I was startled into looking at him. There wasn’t any doubt in his expression. For yet another time after coming here, I found myself at a loss for words. It was funny, this one visit had caused that more times than I could think of it happening in the past year. I searched my mind for something, anything to say in response. Before I came up with something, the door slid back open again, making me jump in surprise.

Honey opened his mouth in the doorway, paused, then glanced between Mori and I. Curiosity was obviously written all over his face, but he dismissed it in favor of the news he’d brought.

“Akira-san said he’d love it if you came to their house for help,” Honey informed me cheerily.

He’d love it? Somehow I doubted those were the older man’s exact words.

“Oh! And Okaasan says it’s time for dinner! Come on!”

____________________________________________

“I never said that I’d do it,” I grumbled.

“You said that it would work!”

“That’s not agreeing.”

“Is too!”

“Honey…”

“Nao-chan~”

I almost dropped my head into my hands at the absurdity of it all. After dinner, which consisted mostly of cheerful conversation either sparked by Honey or his mother, he’d dragged both Mori and I back to his room where he’d seized a box then informed us to follow him. At some point after that we’d ended up in a large, padded room that I guessed served as some sort of practice room. After studying it, I turned back to Honey who dropped the box in front of me and informed me that it was full of C.D.s.

He fully intended for me to start this little adventure of ours right now.

I guess it was to keep me from backing out.

At first I’d simply sat down, legs crossed, in front of the box. After a few seconds however I ended up deciding that this was a ridiculous idea and that I was an idiot for agreeing to it.

I’d had teachers and family members who’d been involved in the dancing world for years helping me before the car accident. It was silly to think that I’d be able to do this on my own.

It was impossible.

One look at the firm, yet still cheerful, expression on Honey’s face, however, and I ended up slowly tugging open the box. What met my eyes happened to be what I’d half expected to see. The box was stock full of C.D.s by artists that, just at a glance, I’d never heard of. Honey and Mori took seats on the floor across from me and I began pulling out the cases and laying them in a row. As each one touched the flooring I found that sinking feeling in my chest growing stronger and stronger.

It really was impossible.

We ended up shifting through discs for hours. The unfortunate thing was that despite that, I hadn’t settled on even one of them. We’d played over half of them, and nothing seemed right. It all came to an end when his mother came to escort me to the guest room they’d prepared. Even if it was Honey, it seemed that me sleeping in the same room as them was a bit of a stretch. To be honest, I was glad. I needed time to think.

Well, that and the question of whether or not Mori slept with a shirt on or off had popped into my mind. I’m not even sure where it had come from, but I sent it back with a rather hot face.

No, I’d be much better off sleeping in the guest room.

“You brought pajamas, didn’t you, Nao-chan?” Kiku questioned.

I snapped out of my thoughts and focused on her curious expression. Goodness, that woman was too much like Honey. All of the questions swirling through my thoughts just became that much harder not to focus on.

“Yes, Otou-san made sure that I had everything I needed before I came,” I replied, putting a smile on my face in an attempt to pay attention to her instead of my head.

Kiku pursed her lips, coming to a stop in front of a door that I had to guess was the one for the guest room. She drew open the door, not saying whatever had occurred to her right away.

“Here we are.”

I glanced around, taking the bag I’d slung over my shoulder and crossing the room to lay it on the bed. I was only slightly surprised when Kiku shut the door and came to sit on the other side of my bag. I paused, almost deciding to keep standing, before she pushed the bag so that it wasn’t next to her and padded that spot with her hand.

“I wanted to talk to you a bit,” she clarified.

More hesitant than before, I nodded and took the spot. Kiku studied me for a moment. tilting her head and causing locks of hair that had escaped the clip she’d pulled it back with to fall into her face. It was then that it occurred to me that for a mother, she honestly had a rather young feeling around her. Yet another thing that made it so obvious she and Honey were related.

“I’ve heard quite a bit about you,” Kiku started when she’d apparently finished her study of me.

Before she could continue, I took that moment to ask the question that had been bugging me ever since I’d come to their house for the first time.

“I wondered about that,” I told her, a sheepish expression appearing on my face. “All of you acted like you knew me. To be honest, it was sort of strange. You knew my name before I’d even taken a step into the house. I hadn’t known them for long…”

Kiku’s face formed a faint, amused smile.

“I wonder if that’s something that’s my place to explain,” she mused. “I think it’s more Mitsu-, no, more Takashi’s responsibility. I wouldn’t want to say something.”

The sheepish expression I’d formed twisted into a bit of frustration before I could stop it.

“That’s not helpful,” I grumbled. “Just makes it worse.”

She laughed and I tensed as she ruffled my hair with one of her hands.

“Probably- but that doesn’t make it anymore my place,” she replied.

If anything, her words made me even more frustrated than before. That plus the fact that the way she’d touched my hair… well… it felt entirely too familiar. My hand fluttered up to the place when she pulled hers back. My mom had done that too many times for me to count. The motion after spending so many hours trying to pick out music, something she had always helped me with, almost caused tears to spring to my eyes.

Almost.

Miku’s expression softened as if she could read my mind. A second later her amusement had faded in to a soft, gentle smile.

“I wanted to talk to you about two things,” she began slowly. “I’ll let you choose which goes first. One is about you, one isn’t.”

Well, that wasn’t hard.

“The one that isn’t.”

That amusement reappeared on her face.

“Well, when I say it isn’t, I mean that it’s less about you than the other one,” Miku informed me. “Now… it’s just us here… right?”

I cocked my head, confused, but simply nodded in response.

“Well, that means that whatever you tell me just stays our little secret,” she added as reached to take ahold of one of my hands. I had a bad feeling about this. “Now… be honest… how do you feel about my boys?”

…. what?

A/N: So, don't you guys just love me? I sure love cliffhangers. I honestly didn't even have this one planned- I promise. It just happened. Anyways~ Comment below, I always love feedback, and I'll see you guys next week! I posted the song that this story popped up from on the side once again. I just love that song so much even if the story has diverted from it...