Every New Beginning

Taylor's eyes widened. "Wha- Well, I, um, well..." She tried to put together a coherent protest, but failed. Honestly she was sobering up, but she was exhausted. And probably still half-drunk. Maybe she was right. She still gave Mamouru a dirty look for his two cents.

She breathed a heavy sigh and acquiesced. "A'right, whatever, man. You're the boss." She looked at Cassie. "Tomorrow, ya know, we've got a lot of stuff to do. If you want, I mean." Cassie nodded enthusiastically. "And WE'VE got... well, you know." Taylor said to Johnny with a grin and leaned her forehead against his cheek.

Cassie, meanwhile, tried to gasp and cry out at the same time, and the resultant respiratory contradiction manifested itself in the form of a high pitched squeak, like a giant guinea pig. She flailed her hands girlishly while she tried to assemble some words that came close to expressing the things she wanted.

"BUT I CAN'T MARRY JOHNNY-KUN!" She burst out. The following embarrassment was enough to close her mouth, and she slapped her palm against her forehead while her cheeks reddened. Taylor came to her rescue.

"No way, if Johnny's in the building he's in my bed, dude." Taylor said with her arms wrapped tightly around Johnny's waist. She looked up at him and in a lower voice asked "Am I being too clingy? You have to tell me." She glanced at Cassie and added. "She can sleep with Mamouru. She can marry him, right?"

She stepped back from Johnny and faced the group again. "Well, even if it's here, I'm going to get ready for bed and stuff. Um..." She paused, and looked at Akashi and Cassie, and then shook her head. "Yeah." She collected her bag from the floor and went off to the bathroom.

Then Cassie was alone with the two Higurashi's and Akashi Tanikaze. She fidgeted. "Sooo..." That was all she had.

Johnny wrapped his arms around Taylor when she came to him and grinned widely. "No way, babe. I can't get enough of ya. And I sure as heck don't wanna sleep anywhere you're not." Cassie's outburst had muted everyone else until the awkward silence had caused a bit of a chuckle amongst the twins and slightly more than a chuckle from the Sumo. Johnny leaned over and ran his fingers through Cassie's hair, messing it up a bit. "Sorry sport, I'm already taken." He said with a wide, proud grin. He kissed Taylor as she snaked off to the bathroom, leaving the four of them alone.

Akashi raised her hand in the air and smiled. "I should get the guest room ready!" She said and trudged off to the other room.

Johnny scratched his head at Cassie and looked between Cassie and Mamouru. It was a little awkward and his twin had been getting a lot of crap from almost everyone the whole night. Even from Johnny. The silver haired boy looked at Cassie and lifted his finger. "Hey." He said as if he needed to get her attention. He pointed to his face where there was a faint scar running under neath his eye. "Do you see this?" He said, knowing of course she did.

Mamouru furrowed his brow. "Junichi..." He said in a tone that was almost pleading.

Johnny waved it off. "You know how I got this? Mamouru and I were roughhousing when we were young and I ended up falling. I landed and it cut my face open. I was pretty lucky that I didn't lose the eye." Johnny smiled. "It's weird though. Usually my dad was always the one who got all angry at us but my mom kept him from getting angry. She didn't get angry either but I've... never seen her look so serious before or since. She said, 'Mamouru-kun, your name means to protect. That means you have to look out for Junichi no matter what, understand?"

Mamouru clenched his teeth. "Yes... and been doing a fine job ever since, right?" He said a little bitterly.

Johnny came over to Mamouru and put an arm around him and hugged him close. "Man..." He said. "We're bros. and right now, I'm the happiest I've ever been. I can't believe it. Found the girl of my dreams. I'm wrestlin just like aunt Rosey and all that junk. I couldn't have done it without you, man. I love you bro." Johnny turned and looked at Cassie with a grin.

Mamouru let out a sigh and smiled. "Johnny, you're drunk and ridiculous but... I'm glad you're happy." He said and smiled genuinely at his brother.

Cassie shifted uncomfortably while she watched the exchange between the two brothers and listened to Johnny's story. She looked down at the floor. She knew what Johnny was doing, or at least what he was trying to do. Or at least what she thought it looked like he was trying to do. And she didn't appreciate it one bit!

A scowl spread across her face like a black storm cloud. It seemed like everyone thought it was their business what Cassie thought about Mamouru. Only Taylor stuck up for her about him, and even so she got the impression that Taylor would like for her to soften up on the tall twin a bit, which couldn't possibly be more ironic. So Mamouru was tall and handsome and intelligent and well spoken and polite and charming and, at least with Cassie, kind and considerate. So what? She didn't like him. He was a womanizer, someone of low morals and weak character and all the other things that dad was so adamant were the most important. What girl in her right mind would ever fall for a boy like that?

She struggled to find words for a moment, and then finally burst out "You're a jerk!" She wasn't even really sure which of the twins she meant. Maybe both. She stomped her foot and took off for the bathroom. Upon flinging open the door, there came a shriek from inside.

"I'm changing!" Came Taylor's panicked shout.

"Oh, stop." Cassie said, and went in anyway and closed the door.

Johnny watched as Cassie shrieked and stormed off. He really couldn't understand what was going on with the girl but shrugged and looked at Mamouru with a grin. "Well, she does have a point man. Probably what you get for tryin to hit on her all the time."

Mamouru scowled and forcibly removed Johnny's arm. "She was talking to you!" He said sharply. "Listen, Johnny-kun." Mamouru said as he ran his hands through his hair. "I appreciate what you're trying to do but when it comes to her and I, just leave it be. I don't need your help. There's nothing to help anyway."

"Uhhh..." Johnny said. "I wasn't trying to.. and it's cool, man... I just."

"Of course you were!" Mamouru said. "So you think now that you have Taylor you know everything there is to know about women? Do you feel bad for me or something!?" Mamouru growled out. "It's not as if I'm looking for something like that anyway. I'm perfectly fine the way things are and I can have any girl I want." He said, narrowing his eyes. "Right now, I'm not even thinking about that." Mamouru clenched his fists and turned his back on Johnny.

"I'll go walk to mother's house. Tell them all I'm sorry." He said and went to leave.

"Dude..." Johnny said and grabbed him hard by the shoulder. "I wasn't fuckin... I didn't even know you liked her dude... I was just.. no one was talking to you and junk and I thought it'd be cool if she... knew some crap.. and junk..." Johnny said as he tried to keep Mamouru from leaving. "Everyone's cool, man.. stay..."

Mamouru spun around. "No one wants me here, Johnny. It's pretty obvious. I'm not going to sit around and suffer through this for no reason whatsoever."

Johnny shook his head. "Suffer through this!? What the hell! We're supposed to be havin a good time, man!" Johnny said.

"Yes. YOU are. EVERYONE ELSE is... anytime I open my mouth, people just scowl or run away. Fuck that. I'm not going to be your potted plant. I'm out of here."

"Dude!" Johnny shouted. "Quit being such an asshole! Just stay!" He said and grabbed Mamouru's shoulder as the brown haired twin went to leave. Mamouru turned around and slugged Johnny in the nose, causing him to stumble back and grab his nose while he watched his brother leave.

"S-Shit!" He said as Akashi suddenly appeared.

"J-Johnny-kun!" She exclaimed. "W-where is Mamouru-kun going?" She asked.

'Fuck him..." Johnny muttered back.

"Oh my..." Akashi muttered as she tried to figure out what to do.

Taylor and Cassie exchanged words in hushed tones in the bathroom while the argument outside took place. Cassie unloaded her feelings, mostly about Mamouru, while Taylor mostly listened.

"I just don't know what to do!" Cassie said helplessly. In the silence that followed, the two overheard the raised voices from outside, and a brief scuffle. Taylor was out the door immediately.

She appeared behind Akashi in her blue silk pajamas that Akashi gave her for her 21st birthday. She saw Johnny holding his nose and Mamouru heading out the door, and that was all she needed. She took off running after him and caught up to him outside.

"HEY!" She barked. She reached to grab his shoulder and spun him around, and got right up in his face. "What did I say? Huh? What did I fuckin' say?"

Mamouru was turned around as Taylor caught up to him. He lowered his head as she yelled. He wasn't mad at Taylor. Johnny and him had just gotten into a little fight. It had happened plenty of times. He tried to remain calm despite her words. "I'm going. No one wants me around anyway. Don't pretend you suddenly do." He said simply. "And don't worry. I won't be interfering in your life anymore. Tell Cassie-san that I don't think it could work with me as her manager. She knows what she's doing anyway. She'll be fine." He then moved to turn around and continue leaving, There really was nothing more to say to Taylor, all things considered.

Taylor was honestly shocked by the defeat in Mamouru's voice, and the weakness on his face. How could he look so vulnerable? The sympathy he drew out of Taylor just pissed her off even more.

"Hey!" She protested when he turned to walk away again. She took a long step like she was kicking a soccer ball and kicked his foot over so that it crossed behind the other, like kids in school used to trip each other.

"I don't give a shit what you do, okay? You're your own man, you do what you want." She said, holding up her hands. "Unless that involves messing with my girls. NEVERMIND that you just decked my fiance, he's your brother, you have a right to punch him. I TOLD you, I fucking TOLD you, DO NOT fuck with Cassie."

She shivered. Her bare feet were freezing on the icy sidewalk in the December cold. Her eyes blazed down at Mamouru, but she held out a hand to him to help him up. She lowered her voice when she spoke again.

"You can't do this shit, man. You can't just bail like this. You're in, okay, she fucking owns you now, and you know it. She just does. This..." She said, drawing a circle in the air around Mamouru with a finger. "Isn't helping. I don't care if you fucking blueball to death, dude, you're part of the crew now. Get it?"

She paused, and shivered again. She was cold enough that she couldn't stop, and her silky pajamas were no help. She hugged her arms across her chest and bobbed up and down. She eyed the wretched playboy in front of her, and one corner of her mouth drew back. She shrugged.

Mamouru wasn't interested in listening to what Taylor said. She was just going to make a big stink out of it. He was right but he wasn't expecting to be tripped and fell down with a hard thud. He let out a grunt as she continued to berate him.

When she picked him up, he dusted himself off and then shot forward, grabbing Taylor by the collar. "Am I?!" He shouted. "Am I really part of the crew?! Or does being part of the crew mean dirty looks every time I open my mouth? Does it mean that everyone won't believe a word I say even though I've done nothing? I haven't given any reason for it. And I have done everything I could for Cassie-san and she won't even bother to speak to me just to tell me what's going on so I know what to do with my own life. I've put it on hold for her career. So, if your crew's going to be me getting shit on no matter what I do and expected to just take it, then thanks but no thanks."

Mamouru let go of Taylor as he stared into her eyes, panting hot breaths into the cold air.

Taylor's lip curled when Mamouru grabbed her, but she stayed cool, even if all she really wanted to do was beat his ass down right there on the sidewalk.

"You can NOT be this goddamn clueless." Taylor said. When he let go she shoved him back way more roughly than was necessary. She straightened her pj's.

"Sounds like you've got to have a little chat with Cassie." Taylor said. She wasn't even sure if anything good would come of it, given how knotted up each of them were. "But honestly, man. Everyone else knows what's going on here. Except maybe Johnny..." She drifted off for a moment. "Anyway, um..." She frowned, took a deep breath, and tried again. "So, I know that, like... Okay. I guess I could be... nicer to you, and stuff. If you're gonna be my brother in law and stuff, and since you're somehow attached to my best friend."

She looked up at the sky and continued. "Man, when we first met, I thought you were the one I wanted. Like, you were so cool and collected and shit, and I thought 'damn, this dude's got it all figured out'." She gave him a little smile. "Of course, I couldn't just play it like that. And... it's complicated. Turns out you were the last thing I needed, but lucky me I didn't have to go very far to find the right one. But Cassie, she's different, ya know. She's used to good people being good and saying what they mean, and always doing the right thing. She doesn't have the faintest idea what to do about you. I'm... I don't know, I shouldn't just speak for her, ya know, you can talk to her all you want. I just... you're not an easy guy to figure out. I'm still always worried that you're playing up some angle, but maybe that's just me."

She began vigorously rubbing her arms and hopped in place a few times. "Goddamn, it's cold. I should've just called you on the freaking phone, man."

Mamouru let out a sigh at Taylor's words. "Taylor..." Mamouru said. "Beliiieve me, I've been trying to have a regular conversation with her since she came back from Canada. I can't MAKE her speak to me. What am I supposed to do? I can't just sit around until she's ready to talk. I've had to turn down opportunities for myself."

Mamouru sighed. He then looked at Taylor and smiled. "Well, it would have been fun, but I guess its all for the best." He said and put an arm around her and swiveled them around to bring them back towards the house.

Mamouru then grinned. "Does that mean after you're married I can call you Nee-san?"