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Description

The noise of an engine roaring in the late evening caught a female albino arcanine’s attention; the sound of a possible new resident. Lily had arrived in Springleaf last night leaving her to unpack most of her things this morning. Now she was strolling in a white trench coat beside the town’s lake admiring the fish in the water and the reflection of the darkening sky. The truck appeared to be on the other side of the lake and movers were unloading boxes and carrying them into a house. Someone must have just arrived! As quickly as she could she began making her way around the lake to greet the new resident.

Peeking from behind a tree she caught sight of a male mightyena whom appeared to have just arrived to the town moving things in and out of the house. The truck was now taking its leave and as the mightyena’s back was turned to her. Lily came out of hiding with her hands in her pockets and smiling, speaking loud enough for him to hear, “I take it that you are new to Springleaf as well?”

Taka nodded to the movers in thanks before they left, before picking up the last box and moving it inside of his new home. He set it down and looked around at the many boxes he had to unpack- as well as some of the furniture that would require assembly. Letting out a sigh, he raised a hand and scratched the back of his head. “Where to begin..” He muttered aloud, before someone else ended up speaking behind him. The male mightyena turned around to come face to face with a female arcanine, an albino one at that. He blinked, a few times at that as he just stared at her.

Taka’s mouth began to hang open some, before he cleared his throat and nodded. “Y-yes I am, it is nice to meet you..” He paused, and waited for her to give her name; though he already had a pretty good idea on who she was. After all, she was the main reason he moved her to begin with, to find her and confess to her. Now that he was face to face with the female though, he felt his cheeks burning some from embarrassment; how on earth was he going to tell her about his true feelings toward her? On top of that.. Did she even remember him, would she even care? Doubt began to flow into the male’s mind as he waited for the female to introduce herself.

So he is new like me! It’s nice knowing that I’m not the only new resident in the town.
Lily placed a hand on her chest as she introduced herself to the newcomer, “My name is Lily and I moved here just last night. I’m still unboxing, but I needed to take a break. So, what name do you go by?” She couldn’t help, but to feel curious about whom this mightyena could be. For an unknown reason he seemed a little familiar as if they have met somewhere before, but she could not pinpoint the exact memory and instead pushed it aside rather than hoping for what was not likely. Maybe I’m just imagining things. I mean, what are the chances of running into someone you’ve met years ago that moved away?

He couldn’t believe it, it was her! All Taka could hear was his own heartbeat thudding in his ears. He could see Lily speaking and could guess what she was saying, but over all the male was stunned. “Oh, I am sorry, I should have introduced myself to begin with-” Taka raised his right hand over his chest and let it rest there as he did a half bow- lessons from his grandfather ringing in his head as he did so. “My name is Hibiki, Takahiro Hibiki.” He remained in that position for a moment before raising and waiting, gulping silently. Taka was still wondering if she remembered him; and if she did, did she hate him for leaving without even saying goodbye…

After he had given his name she felt her fur spike from a chill running down her spine and wondering if she had heard him right. Taka...hiro……..Hibiki?! Taka? A Hibiki?! The world around her seemed to be spinning almost making her feel dizzy. She had known this mightyena from her past. One day he had moved away without saying goodbye to her and now he stood right in front of her after all of these years. Lily swallowed hard and stared at him for a moment unsure of how to act or even feel.

In the short time they spent together in the past his company had helped her cope with her issues within her family. She had thought that they were close until the day he stopped coming to see her. Her vision of him now grew blurry. Old feelings began to resurface and tears began to form in her eyes. For a second she wondered if she should hold back her tears now that she had learned that Takahiro is part of the Hibiki family, well known in their hometown for their jobs as doctors and managing a law firm. As quickly as the thought came it was pushed aside.
Taka was her friend or at least he had been in her past and regardless of whether he still was and that he’s part of a high profile family she decided to cry anyways. High profile or not she refused to treat him differently.

Lily could feel her body tremble as she took a step forward, putting her hands over her mouth and nose as if trying to hide her face. A tear rolled down her cheek as she spoke in a shaky voice, “Taka? I-It can’t be...Is it really you?”

Taka stood there, unsure if he should speak and break the ever growing silence that seemed to just go one between the two of them. He was going to speak, until he noticed her eyes beginning to water. Oh Lily… His ears pinned back and his tail twitched behind himself before going motionless. His heart was still pounding against his chest, but there was a sinking feeling he was getting. The male really wanted to just step forward and embrace her and tell her everything was going to be all right and yet.. For some reason he was unable to move from where he stood. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew of his family, after all, they were well known in their hometown and the surround area- would she treat him different now because of that too? Like many others had before her and before he had moved.

Taka seemed to snap out of his thoughts and worries though when Lily finally spoke up. His ears perked forward and his heart seemed to skip a beat as a tear roll down the female’s cheek. Luckily, he didn’t have a box in his hand, for it would have been tossed aside as he move so fast to embrace the female and hold her close to him. His tail curled up a bit behind him as he just held her there against him for a moment. “Please don’t cry Lily.. “ Was all he could seem to whisper softly into her ear, closing his eyes and trying to keep his own emotions under wrap- for the most part. Even so, Taka waited a moment before pulling away a bit, his hands till on the other’s shoulders- before he looked down at her and smiled softly. “Been a long time, eh?” He said, hoping to maybe lighten the mood a bit.

Lily’s eyes grew wide in surprise as he quickly came to wrap him in his arms, telling her softly not to cry. How can I not? Do you know how hard it was for me when you suddenly disappeared without saying anything? She bit her lip to keep those thoughts to herself and said nothing while he held her tightly, only sniffling. After a moment he pulled away and rested his hands on her shoulders saying that it has been a while referring to how long they have been apart.

She wiped her face with her sleeve before responding, “It has indeed been a long time.” To Lily it had been quite the shock and turn of events. Here she was in Springleaf to live her life and move on from her past, but how could she now that Taka was here? Silently she hoped that they were still good friends though who was to say after so many years have past. Sooner or later they’d get to know each other better and start things off slowly catching up on what’s been going on in their lives. Out of curiosity she looked passed him and through his open door seeing all the boxes and furniture.

Unboxing everything and assemble all the furniture would possibly take a couple of days although it could be done sooner if he spent all day putting his home together. She looked into his deep purple eyes and tilted her head, her ears flopping in the direction her head moved, “Would you like any help tonight or should I come back in the morning if at all?” Lily figured that by helping him out they could spend some time chatting while moving things around. Either way she would not be taken aback if he refused her offer because she understood if he felt tired or preferred to move things by himself.

Taka made sure to keep a soft smile on his face as he stared down at her. He was hoping she would be here in this town- after all, it was the main reason he moved here to Springleaf; but he hadn’t expected to run into her right after he finished unpacking the truck! He still had one more item to be delivered since it was so large it didn’t fit in the first moving truck. Taka raised a brow as she looked past him at the many boxes that were spread and stacked all over his home.

The house itself had a simple traditional japanese homey feel to it. The outside had wooden walls, with screen windows and doors- and an Irimoya style roof with Kawara roof tiles. The inside was only two rooms with thin walls and tatami flooring. The first room you’d enter was the kitchen, dinning, and living room- all in one. A small screen in the middle of the wall would slide open to lead into the bedroom, with also linked to the one bathroom. It was the perfect size for Taka, and it remind him much of his home back in Blackthorn, where he had left his grandfather with reliable care.

Taka scratched the back of his neck and smiled softly. “I would really like to get it done as soon as possible cause as well..” He stopped short. Should he tell her it was his birthday? No.. Then she might feel obligated to get me a gift.. He thought to himself as nodded a bit before chuckling. “Then I can just kick back and relax, you know? Plus I need to make sure there is room for Merodi.” He smiled softly, not even thinking that Lily might think his Piano’s name was really the name of some girl that was living with him! “If you really have nothing else to do, I wouldn’t mind the help.” He looked over his shoulder at the many boxes. “You don’t have to though if you had other plans, of course.” He turned and smiled back at her. “If not, we can most certainly catch up tomorrow, Yuri.” His tail curled up again behind him as he called her the name he used for her when they had once hung out long ago.

When he made a short pause she tilted her head the other way feeling curious about what he wanted to say, but pushed the thought away as he continued. Lily felt confused when he mentioned a name, Merodi. Looking genuinely confused she decided to ask him about it, “Merodi? Is that a roommate of yours?” Silently she hoped it wasn’t a girl or at least one that could be his lover. A stab of jealousy cut through her and she felt terrible for feeling like this.
They had been apart for years and it was not her right to decide whom he let into his life and fall in love with.

As soon as Taka called her “Yuri,” like he had done years ago her fur fluffed up and made her face redden. He mentioned that he could use her help if she had the time in which she did else she would not have offered. Either way Taka was her friend and if he had a lover it would not stop her from helping him in times of need and he needed her now. She closed her eyes and smiled at him, “Of course I’ll help, lead the way.” Without realizing it her tail waved slowly back and forth in pleasure of their meeting.

Roommate…? Taka couldn’t help but laugh softly, shaking his head from side to side. “Oh no, she is my piano.. Haha.” The male moved his hands in front of him and played an invisible keyboard with a smile. “My grandfather built her, when she arrives you’ll have to hear her, she is amazing.” His tail swayed from side to side before he stepped to the side and gestured for her to enter. “Come on in.” He smiled as he would follow in after her.

“Let’s see..” He shut the door softly behind him as he looked around, hovering over a few boxes until he found on marked ‘kitchen’. “Ah!” He remarked, opening it up immediately and pulling out a small tea set. “Here we are! Would you care for a cup?” He asked, as he moved over to the sink and filled the kettle with water before placing it on the stove and turning the burner on. He turned and walked back over to the same box and pulled out a small jar with tea in it. “As for unboxing; we’d best start with this room.. I-i can probably do the bedroom myself, haha.”

Relief washed over her like a wave hearing that Merodi was only a piano. Her eyes widened in surprise and amazement. He can play the piano? I’m so jealous! Lily loved listening to pianos when she was younger and would often attend her school’s competitions. With a nod acknowledging his kind gesture she entered the house and examined the spacious room. Her ears angled backwards at the sound of the door closing behind her and watched Taka make his way over to the boxes seeming to look for something.

Almost immediately he opened up one of the boxes revealing a small tea set and walked over to the sink to begin making tea while asking her if she would like a cup. Lily responded in a grateful tone for his asking, “Yes please, I’d love to have a cup of tea.”
When they were ready to begin unboxing Taka suggested that they start with the main room and that he could do the bedroom himself. “Alright, sounds like a plan.” Lily made her way over to help remove the seals on some of the boxes and together they began to place things throughout the large room. After having moved a few things Lily could feel herself growing hot with her coat and decided to ask, “Is there some place that I can rest my jacket? I can feel the heat getting to me.”

Taka smiled, and started to help unpack things alongside Lily as the tea’s water broiled. Box after box they seemed to unpack. Talking all the while about this and that- most the time about what was pulled from the boxes. A few bonsai trees and Taka’s tools, quite a few books on history and classical music, a table small table that was in pieces; which was what Taka was working on hen Lily spoke up about being too hot in her jacket. “Oh of course.” Taka stood up and wiped the sweat from his own brow with a small white rag. He walked over and took her jacket from her and then opened the screen to his bedroom.

“There is a closet in here, just don’t forget about it before you leave; wouldn’t want you to catch a cold on your home.” He added, hanging the jacket up. Taka’s room had a bed in it that was already assembled, and a suitcase with a lock on it was sitting on the mattress. Taka then stepped out and walked back over to the table and flipped it upright. It wasn’t a large table, about a foot or so off the ground, enough for when sitting on the ground, you could slide your legs under it. “There we go!” His tail flicked with approval just as the kettle began to whistle. The male moved over to the stove and pulled the kettle off the stove, turning the burner off as well before pour the hot water into the tea cup. Taka then prepared the tea and took both cups over to the table. “Here we are how about a break?” Taka smiled as he looked around, almost all the boxes were unpacked- everything might not be in place yet, but the worst was over.

With Taka’s approval Lily took off her coat revealing that she had been wearing shorts and a plain white t-shirt beneath. He approached to take the coat from her and lead her over to his bedroom closet where it was going to be hung. Taka insisted that she shouldn’t forget it when she leaves, the nights were growing colder and it would be unfortunate if she would catch a cold. “I don’t think I could forget it even if I wanted to. It’s chilly outside.” On their way out of the room Lily glanced at his bed. It was a twin size and it looked very comfortable. She yearned to lay down and relax as she loves to sleep and lay on soft surfaces, but now wasn’t the time and Taka probably wouldn’t appreciate it if she stole the bed from him.

While Taka was busy flipping a table upright Lily grabbed a damp rag and began to wipe his belongings down removing any trace of dust or dirt. Suddenly the kettle began to whistle making Lily jump out of her fur and turned to see Taka preparing their tea and asking if they should take a break. They had gotten most of the work done in the living room after a while and a break sounded nice. “Good idea, I could use the cup of tea right about now.”
Lily sat herself down at the low table just as Taka brought over their cups. Gently she blew on it to cool it down just a little before taking a sip to test how hot it was. It burned the tip of her tongue a little and so she set it down to give it time to cool down.

Her hands rested around her cup and stared into the steaming tea her mind whirling with questions. So much time had passed between them and yet they seemed to be getting along just fine for the moment at least. After a moment of silence her ears began to droop as she looked up at him with an expression mixed with sadness and desperation. She had to know. “Taka...What had happened all of those years ago? Why wasn’t I told anything?” The last thing she wanted to do was create an uncomfortable situation, but she felt a strong need to know why it was that he disappeared without saying a word to her.

Taka smiled as Lily grasped the cup before he made his way to the opposite side of the table and bent down, resting on his knees, sitting on his legs as he cupped his own tea cup and just stared into its liquid contents. There was an unbearable silence between the two of them until finally it was broken by Lily speaking up. Taka raised his head when she began to speak- and his ears pinned back some as he looked back into his tea cup when she asked her questions.

“Well..” The male closed his eyes, trying to think of how he should explain this. Long or short, either way she had to know the truth. “I am a Hibiki, the second born twin to my mother and father- a failure in their eyes and my father sent me away to my grandfather because he thought I was distracting my brother, the future of the Hibiki name.” That was a start. Taka pulled the tea cup up to his mouth and took a sip before continuing. “I tried to write to you, I sent letters to my brother, hoping he would find you in the city and tell you what happened but, he feared our father’s anger if he ever found out that he was helping me.” Taka let out a soft sigh. “Then, I went looking for you as soon as I finished my schooling, but by then you had already left the city.” The male’s tail twitched softly behind him. He wasn’t going to tell her that she was the reason he moved here, but at least she knew most of the truth now. “I really am sorry, Yuri.. I tried to tell you, tried to find you to do so.. I hope you can forgive me..” Taka looked up from his cup at Lily, sorrow in his eyes at how long it took for her to find out everything; but at least she knew now.

Lily listened silently as he explained what had happened and why she had heard absolutely no word from him for all these years. When he had finished he looked upon her with sorrow glistening in his eyes feeling terrible for Lily having to wait so long to learn the truth.
She couldn’t help, but to smile a little in sympathy; they were both hurting. Gently she placed her hands over his and looked him in the eyes, “Thank you for telling me this, Taka. There is nothing to forgive for something you could not help.”

She pulled her hands away to take a drink of her tea and a goofy grin formed while she looked at Taka. “So, you came all this way looking for me to tell me all of this? I’m surprised, really.”
Never would she have guessed that he had come looking for her, but the thought made her happy. He was still as kind as he has ever been since they were young and she wondered just how much he had changed if at all.

Taka seemed to stiffen up a bit as Lily had reached forward and took hold of his hands in her own. His tail curled up slightly as well, wagging a bit, though it was hardly noticeable as he smiled when she spoke. The male mightyena was very happy that she understood the situation that he had been in in the past- for the most part at least. He took a sip of his own tea as she took one of her own before tilting his head to the side when she smiled all goofy like. His ears pinned back as he chuckled softly, raising a hand and rubbing the back of his head softly; looking seemingly defeated and discovered out. “Well, I suppose we should get back to pack, hm?” He smiled as he used the table as support and pushed himself up onto his feet, stretching out as he did so before looking around at what else they had left to do.

Most of the big items had already been pulled out and put together. All that seemed to be left now was boxes with decorative items and other things, like books, knickknacks and whatnots. “Hmm..” His tail twitched as he stepped into his bedroom and looked around. There were still a few boxes in there was all. “I can start working on here if you’d like to start setting things up in there?” He turned and smiled at her before walking out and picking up their empty tea glasses, walking over to the sink and washing them out before setting them to the side.

She nodded in agreement to finish unpacking and set her cup on the table to get up and stretch. A yawn escaped her despite trying to hold it in. The hot drink seemed to have made her feel drowsy. “Sure thing. It looks like we might be able to finish before too long.” Lily began to unpack some books, wiping them down, and then placed them on the bookshelf. Afterwards she finished to place the remaining objects and decorations around the room.

When she had finished the room she was in she made her way to Taka’s bedroom and knocked on his sliding door, “I’m done on my end, how are things going in here?” A large yawn escaped her once more and made her feel even more tired. They had been up all night until early morning. Not that she minded, she was relieved to have finished unpacking most if not all of his things. Now all she wanted was to take a nap.

While Lily was taking care of the main room, Taka had been working on the bedroom. He made the bed with the goosedown bedding set, and set up another book shelf too. A bonsai tree or two was place on it alone with a few composing books and a violin propped up against it. He had also put together a desk and had it placed against the window face where eventually his rock garden would be as soon as he purchased a yard.

The male mightyena opened his maw and let out a huge yawn before Lily had knocked on the door. “Yeah, come on in Yuri.” He stood up after placing his locked chest under the bed just as the female arcanine would come in. “How’s it looking out there?” He’d ask, smiling as he would walk past her and looked around, nodding in approval. It all looked great, she seemed to place everything just right and in theme with the rest of the house too! “Looks good, Yuri!” He proclaimed, before turning and smiling at her.

Lily stepped aside to let Taka pass and examine the room that she had finished putting together. He nodded in approval and praised her making her tail wag a little in delight. “Great! Now that we’re done I think I’m going to take a small break.” Giggling she squeezed past him to enter the bedroom and feel the bed with her hands. It was only a twin size bed, yet it felt so soft and comfortable. Lily has always loved to sleep and especially lay on anything she finds to be soft which made the bed seem so tempting to lay on.

Before doing anything she turned back to look at Taka with her tail low with the tip wagging and ears back. She held her arm with her hand looking shy, “Since it’s really late and I’m scared to walk home alone, is it okay if I uh...if I sleep over? Just for the night?” She felt embarrassed to ask, but she was always afraid of being alone in the dark preferring to be around the company of others. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked after all we’ve only just found each other after so many years…

Taka tilted his head to the side as Lily moved over to the bed and began to feel it up with her hands he chuckled softly as she seemed to be so happy in doing so. Though, he knew that his goosedown comforter and pillow- when laid upon, felt like you were sleeping on a cloud. When she turned back to face him he blinks a few times at her stance and then her question. The question itself caused his tail to curl a little bit and sway from side to side softly.

There was no way he would let her walk home alone in the dark- and it was late.. well, early early in the morning. “Of course, Yuri.” He smiled and gestured his hand toward the bed. “Go ahead and get comfortable, I am going to clean the dishes and finish the last few things that need to be unpacked.” He smiled and went to turn around, but stopped, blinking a few times. “I-if you want something more comfortable to sleep in I have a few shirts in the closet.. “ His cheeks felt red before he finally turned around and entered the other room to clean the dishes.

“Thank you, Taka! Oh? If you insist…” Lily blushed at the thought of wearing one of Taka’s shirts to sleep in. When he had left the room Lily searched through his closet to find a suitable shirt for her to wear. A soft black shirt caught her eye and held it up against her to judge its size. It was a good length, long enough to cover her butt although it did not have an opening for her tail to fit so she would have to keep her tail low.

After stripping herself of her clothing and slipping on Taka’s shirt she shyly slid his door open, but kept herself partly hidden. She finally spoke with a shy voice and her face slightly red, “Taka? I-Is this okay?” Lily slid the door open even more to reveal herself. Her wavy hair was let down and the long black shirt smoothed out.

Taka was putting up the last dish after drying it. The sound of the door opening caused his ear to twitch but he didn’t turn around as he stared into the water in the sink. What am I doing..? he thought to himself as he ran his hand through his hair before Lily’s voice caught his ears. the male turned around and instantly his tail curled up tight against him as he stared, opened jawed at the female that was standing before him, in his shirt.

“W-wow…” He whispered out, before he shook his head and took a step forward. “I mean.. Y-yes that is uh.. fine.” he cleared his throat before rubbing the back of his neck softly. “So um.. Ugh.. Would you like to take this to the bed?” His cheeks flushed before he realized what he just said. “I-..I MEAN! No! That isn’t what I meant, I meant..” He brought his hand up and facepalmed mumbling into it. “Would you like to sleep in my bed..” He muttered behind it before dragging his paw softly down his face with a soft smile.

To bed?!
Lily’s face instantly turned red from his response and held her shirt down as she shuffled her feet nervously. She stood silent until he corrected himself and gave a small nod. “I-If that is okay with you...” Part of her felt bad for taking his bed even though he had offered it. While listening for his response she made her way towards the bed, took the pillow into her arms, and walked back to the door.

She tossed the pillow lightly over to Taka, “Here, at least take the pillow I don't really need it so you should have it.” She wasn’t sure where exactly he would be sleeping, but it was the least that she could do after he had offered her his bed. Lily hid behind the door a little again with her ears back as she looked at Taka, “I’m going to sleep now, g-goodnight Taka.”

He couldn’t help himself, as his eyes looked over her perfect form as she stood there, shifting her feet nervously. When she looked at him again, he quickly adverted his gaze, blushing deeply behind his fur. She must think me some kind of perv!

Taka nodded softly when she asked if it was okay with him and when she was out of sight, the male spun around in a circle with his hands in the air. What ARE you doing?! He proclaimed to himself, tail twitching and shaking his head back and forth before turning around just in time for Lily to appear in the doorway again, hidden partly behind it as she tossed the pillow at him.

The male caught it and smiled softly, nodding again. “N-night, Yuri.. Rest well, if you need anything, I will be right here, okay?” He muttered, his tail still curled tightly behind him, and his ears pinned back softly.

Lily nodded in return and smiled, “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning.” Quickly she hopped into the soft bed and lay there for a moment. What a crazy day this has become… She crawled beneath the blanket and curled into a ball relishing the warmth and comfort that the bed provided. Her tail curled around her and she held it close as she fell into a deep sleep.

Taka finished unpacking a few more things and set them up in the front room- quietly. Eventually, he peeked into the bedroom to check up on Lily. He found her in a ball under the blankets and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. With the pillow in hand, he moved over to the bed and placed it on the edge, she that if she startled awake- she wouldn’t hurt herself.

The male then made his way back out into the front room and sat down at the table with one of his books on astrology and began to read it, even though morning was already on it’s way. There was a soft knock at the door at some point in the early hours, and he got up to answer it. It was a letter from his grandfather. Taka took it back to the table and opened it.

‘Happy Birthday my boy! Hope all is going well in that new home of yours.
I have a surprize for you when Merodi arrives, make sure you look for it!
Best wishes to ya.
- Pops’

Taka chuckled softly, as he set the letter off to the side before returning to his studies. However, it didn’t take long after that, for the male mightyena to pass out- face planted in the pages of the open book. Though he might have slept well, there is no telling how sore is back is going to be in the morning… Or when ever he wakes up that is!

Description

The noise of an engine roaring in the late evening caught a female albino arcanine’s attention; the sound of a possible new resident. Lily had arrived in Springleaf last night leaving her to unpack most of her things this morning. Now she was strolling in a white trench coat beside the town’s lake admiring the fish in the water and the reflection of the darkening sky. The truck appeared to be on the other side of the lake and movers were unloading boxes and carrying them into a house. Someone must have just arrived! As quickly as she could she began making her way around the lake to greet the new resident.

Peeking from behind a tree she caught sight of a male mightyena whom appeared to have just arrived to the town moving things in and out of the house. The truck was now taking its leave and as the mightyena’s back was turned to her. Lily came out of hiding with her hands in her pockets and smiling, speaking loud enough for him to hear, “I take it that you are new to Springleaf as well?”

Taka nodded to the movers in thanks before they left, before picking up the last box and moving it inside of his new home. He set it down and looked around at the many boxes he had to unpack- as well as some of the furniture that would require assembly. Letting out a sigh, he raised a hand and scratched the back of his head. “Where to begin..” He muttered aloud, before someone else ended up speaking behind him. The male mightyena turned around to come face to face with a female arcanine, an albino one at that. He blinked, a few times at that as he just stared at her.

Taka’s mouth began to hang open some, before he cleared his throat and nodded. “Y-yes I am, it is nice to meet you..” He paused, and waited for her to give her name; though he already had a pretty good idea on who she was. After all, she was the main reason he moved her to begin with, to find her and confess to her. Now that he was face to face with the female though, he felt his cheeks burning some from embarrassment; how on earth was he going to tell her about his true feelings toward her? On top of that.. Did she even remember him, would she even care? Doubt began to flow into the male’s mind as he waited for the female to introduce herself.

So he is new like me! It’s nice knowing that I’m not the only new resident in the town.
Lily placed a hand on her chest as she introduced herself to the newcomer, “My name is Lily and I moved here just last night. I’m still unboxing, but I needed to take a break. So, what name do you go by?” She couldn’t help, but to feel curious about whom this mightyena could be. For an unknown reason he seemed a little familiar as if they have met somewhere before, but she could not pinpoint the exact memory and instead pushed it aside rather than hoping for what was not likely. Maybe I’m just imagining things. I mean, what are the chances of running into someone you’ve met years ago that moved away?

He couldn’t believe it, it was her! All Taka could hear was his own heartbeat thudding in his ears. He could see Lily speaking and could guess what she was saying, but over all the male was stunned. “Oh, I am sorry, I should have introduced myself to begin with-” Taka raised his right hand over his chest and let it rest there as he did a half bow- lessons from his grandfather ringing in his head as he did so. “My name is Hibiki, Takahiro Hibiki.” He remained in that position for a moment before raising and waiting, gulping silently. Taka was still wondering if she remembered him; and if she did, did she hate him for leaving without even saying goodbye…

After he had given his name she felt her fur spike from a chill running down her spine and wondering if she had heard him right. Taka...hiro……..Hibiki?! Taka? A Hibiki?! The world around her seemed to be spinning almost making her feel dizzy. She had known this mightyena from her past. One day he had moved away without saying goodbye to her and now he stood right in front of her after all of these years. Lily swallowed hard and stared at him for a moment unsure of how to act or even feel.

In the short time they spent together in the past his company had helped her cope with her issues within her family. She had thought that they were close until the day he stopped coming to see her. Her vision of him now grew blurry. Old feelings began to resurface and tears began to form in her eyes. For a second she wondered if she should hold back her tears now that she had learned that Takahiro is part of the Hibiki family, well known in their hometown for their jobs as doctors and managing a law firm. As quickly as the thought came it was pushed aside.
Taka was her friend or at least he had been in her past and regardless of whether he still was and that he’s part of a high profile family she decided to cry anyways. High profile or not she refused to treat him differently.

Lily could feel her body tremble as she took a step forward, putting her hands over her mouth and nose as if trying to hide her face. A tear rolled down her cheek as she spoke in a shaky voice, “Taka? I-It can’t be...Is it really you?”

Taka stood there, unsure if he should speak and break the ever growing silence that seemed to just go one between the two of them. He was going to speak, until he noticed her eyes beginning to water. Oh Lily… His ears pinned back and his tail twitched behind himself before going motionless. His heart was still pounding against his chest, but there was a sinking feeling he was getting. The male really wanted to just step forward and embrace her and tell her everything was going to be all right and yet.. For some reason he was unable to move from where he stood. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew of his family, after all, they were well known in their hometown and the surround area- would she treat him different now because of that too? Like many others had before her and before he had moved.

Taka seemed to snap out of his thoughts and worries though when Lily finally spoke up. His ears perked forward and his heart seemed to skip a beat as a tear roll down the female’s cheek. Luckily, he didn’t have a box in his hand, for it would have been tossed aside as he move so fast to embrace the female and hold her close to him. His tail curled up a bit behind him as he just held her there against him for a moment. “Please don’t cry Lily.. “ Was all he could seem to whisper softly into her ear, closing his eyes and trying to keep his own emotions under wrap- for the most part. Even so, Taka waited a moment before pulling away a bit, his hands till on the other’s shoulders- before he looked down at her and smiled softly. “Been a long time, eh?” He said, hoping to maybe lighten the mood a bit.

Lily’s eyes grew wide in surprise as he quickly came to wrap him in his arms, telling her softly not to cry. How can I not? Do you know how hard it was for me when you suddenly disappeared without saying anything? She bit her lip to keep those thoughts to herself and said nothing while he held her tightly, only sniffling. After a moment he pulled away and rested his hands on her shoulders saying that it has been a while referring to how long they have been apart.

She wiped her face with her sleeve before responding, “It has indeed been a long time.” To Lily it had been quite the shock and turn of events. Here she was in Springleaf to live her life and move on from her past, but how could she now that Taka was here? Silently she hoped that they were still good friends though who was to say after so many years have past. Sooner or later they’d get to know each other better and start things off slowly catching up on what’s been going on in their lives. Out of curiosity she looked passed him and through his open door seeing all the boxes and furniture.

Unboxing everything and assemble all the furniture would possibly take a couple of days although it could be done sooner if he spent all day putting his home together. She looked into his deep purple eyes and tilted her head, her ears flopping in the direction her head moved, “Would you like any help tonight or should I come back in the morning if at all?” Lily figured that by helping him out they could spend some time chatting while moving things around. Either way she would not be taken aback if he refused her offer because she understood if he felt tired or preferred to move things by himself.

Taka made sure to keep a soft smile on his face as he stared down at her. He was hoping she would be here in this town- after all, it was the main reason he moved here to Springleaf; but he hadn’t expected to run into her right after he finished unpacking the truck! He still had one more item to be delivered since it was so large it didn’t fit in the first moving truck. Taka raised a brow as she looked past him at the many boxes that were spread and stacked all over his home.

The house itself had a simple traditional japanese homey feel to it. The outside had wooden walls, with screen windows and doors- and an Irimoya style roof with Kawara roof tiles. The inside was only two rooms with thin walls and tatami flooring. The first room you’d enter was the kitchen, dinning, and living room- all in one. A small screen in the middle of the wall would slide open to lead into the bedroom, with also linked to the one bathroom. It was the perfect size for Taka, and it remind him much of his home back in Blackthorn, where he had left his grandfather with reliable care.

Taka scratched the back of his neck and smiled softly. “I would really like to get it done as soon as possible cause as well..” He stopped short. Should he tell her it was his birthday? No.. Then she might feel obligated to get me a gift.. He thought to himself as nodded a bit before chuckling. “Then I can just kick back and relax, you know? Plus I need to make sure there is room for Merodi.” He smiled softly, not even thinking that Lily might think his Piano’s name was really the name of some girl that was living with him! “If you really have nothing else to do, I wouldn’t mind the help.” He looked over his shoulder at the many boxes. “You don’t have to though if you had other plans, of course.” He turned and smiled back at her. “If not, we can most certainly catch up tomorrow, Yuri.” His tail curled up again behind him as he called her the name he used for her when they had once hung out long ago.

When he made a short pause she tilted her head the other way feeling curious about what he wanted to say, but pushed the thought away as he continued. Lily felt confused when he mentioned a name, Merodi. Looking genuinely confused she decided to ask him about it, “Merodi? Is that a roommate of yours?” Silently she hoped it wasn’t a girl or at least one that could be his lover. A stab of jealousy cut through her and she felt terrible for feeling like this.
They had been apart for years and it was not her right to decide whom he let into his life and fall in love with.

As soon as Taka called her “Yuri,” like he had done years ago her fur fluffed up and made her face redden. He mentioned that he could use her help if she had the time in which she did else she would not have offered. Either way Taka was her friend and if he had a lover it would not stop her from helping him in times of need and he needed her now. She closed her eyes and smiled at him, “Of course I’ll help, lead the way.” Without realizing it her tail waved slowly back and forth in pleasure of their meeting.

Roommate…? Taka couldn’t help but laugh softly, shaking his head from side to side. “Oh no, she is my piano.. Haha.” The male moved his hands in front of him and played an invisible keyboard with a smile. “My grandfather built her, when she arrives you’ll have to hear her, she is amazing.” His tail swayed from side to side before he stepped to the side and gestured for her to enter. “Come on in.” He smiled as he would follow in after her.

“Let’s see..” He shut the door softly behind him as he looked around, hovering over a few boxes until he found on marked ‘kitchen’. “Ah!” He remarked, opening it up immediately and pulling out a small tea set. “Here we are! Would you care for a cup?” He asked, as he moved over to the sink and filled the kettle with water before placing it on the stove and turning the burner on. He turned and walked back over to the same box and pulled out a small jar with tea in it. “As for unboxing; we’d best start with this room.. I-i can probably do the bedroom myself, haha.”

Relief washed over her like a wave hearing that Merodi was only a piano. Her eyes widened in surprise and amazement. He can play the piano? I’m so jealous! Lily loved listening to pianos when she was younger and would often attend her school’s competitions. With a nod acknowledging his kind gesture she entered the house and examined the spacious room. Her ears angled backwards at the sound of the door closing behind her and watched Taka make his way over to the boxes seeming to look for something.

Almost immediately he opened up one of the boxes revealing a small tea set and walked over to the sink to begin making tea while asking her if she would like a cup. Lily responded in a grateful tone for his asking, “Yes please, I’d love to have a cup of tea.”
When they were ready to begin unboxing Taka suggested that they start with the main room and that he could do the bedroom himself. “Alright, sounds like a plan.” Lily made her way over to help remove the seals on some of the boxes and together they began to place things throughout the large room. After having moved a few things Lily could feel herself growing hot with her coat and decided to ask, “Is there some place that I can rest my jacket? I can feel the heat getting to me.”

Taka smiled, and started to help unpack things alongside Lily as the tea’s water broiled. Box after box they seemed to unpack. Talking all the while about this and that- most the time about what was pulled from the boxes. A few bonsai trees and Taka’s tools, quite a few books on history and classical music, a table small table that was in pieces; which was what Taka was working on hen Lily spoke up about being too hot in her jacket. “Oh of course.” Taka stood up and wiped the sweat from his own brow with a small white rag. He walked over and took her jacket from her and then opened the screen to his bedroom.

“There is a closet in here, just don’t forget about it before you leave; wouldn’t want you to catch a cold on your home.” He added, hanging the jacket up. Taka’s room had a bed in it that was already assembled, and a suitcase with a lock on it was sitting on the mattress. Taka then stepped out and walked back over to the table and flipped it upright. It wasn’t a large table, about a foot or so off the ground, enough for when sitting on the ground, you could slide your legs under it. “There we go!” His tail flicked with approval just as the kettle began to whistle. The male moved over to the stove and pulled the kettle off the stove, turning the burner off as well before pour the hot water into the tea cup. Taka then prepared the tea and took both cups over to the table. “Here we are how about a break?” Taka smiled as he looked around, almost all the boxes were unpacked- everything might not be in place yet, but the worst was over.

With Taka’s approval Lily took off her coat revealing that she had been wearing shorts and a plain white t-shirt beneath. He approached to take the coat from her and lead her over to his bedroom closet where it was going to be hung. Taka insisted that she shouldn’t forget it when she leaves, the nights were growing colder and it would be unfortunate if she would catch a cold. “I don’t think I could forget it even if I wanted to. It’s chilly outside.” On their way out of the room Lily glanced at his bed. It was a twin size and it looked very comfortable. She yearned to lay down and relax as she loves to sleep and lay on soft surfaces, but now wasn’t the time and Taka probably wouldn’t appreciate it if she stole the bed from him.

While Taka was busy flipping a table upright Lily grabbed a damp rag and began to wipe his belongings down removing any trace of dust or dirt. Suddenly the kettle began to whistle making Lily jump out of her fur and turned to see Taka preparing their tea and asking if they should take a break. They had gotten most of the work done in the living room after a while and a break sounded nice. “Good idea, I could use the cup of tea right about now.”
Lily sat herself down at the low table just as Taka brought over their cups. Gently she blew on it to cool it down just a little before taking a sip to test how hot it was. It burned the tip of her tongue a little and so she set it down to give it time to cool down.

Her hands rested around her cup and stared into the steaming tea her mind whirling with questions. So much time had passed between them and yet they seemed to be getting along just fine for the moment at least. After a moment of silence her ears began to droop as she looked up at him with an expression mixed with sadness and desperation. She had to know. “Taka...What had happened all of those years ago? Why wasn’t I told anything?” The last thing she wanted to do was create an uncomfortable situation, but she felt a strong need to know why it was that he disappeared without saying a word to her.

Taka smiled as Lily grasped the cup before he made his way to the opposite side of the table and bent down, resting on his knees, sitting on his legs as he cupped his own tea cup and just stared into its liquid contents. There was an unbearable silence between the two of them until finally it was broken by Lily speaking up. Taka raised his head when she began to speak- and his ears pinned back some as he looked back into his tea cup when she asked her questions.

“Well..” The male closed his eyes, trying to think of how he should explain this. Long or short, either way she had to know the truth. “I am a Hibiki, the second born twin to my mother and father- a failure in their eyes and my father sent me away to my grandfather because he thought I was distracting my brother, the future of the Hibiki name.” That was a start. Taka pulled the tea cup up to his mouth and took a sip before continuing. “I tried to write to you, I sent letters to my brother, hoping he would find you in the city and tell you what happened but, he feared our father’s anger if he ever found out that he was helping me.” Taka let out a soft sigh. “Then, I went looking for you as soon as I finished my schooling, but by then you had already left the city.” The male’s tail twitched softly behind him. He wasn’t going to tell her that she was the reason he moved here, but at least she knew most of the truth now. “I really am sorry, Yuri.. I tried to tell you, tried to find you to do so.. I hope you can forgive me..” Taka looked up from his cup at Lily, sorrow in his eyes at how long it took for her to find out everything; but at least she knew now.

Lily listened silently as he explained what had happened and why she had heard absolutely no word from him for all these years. When he had finished he looked upon her with sorrow glistening in his eyes feeling terrible for Lily having to wait so long to learn the truth.
She couldn’t help, but to smile a little in sympathy; they were both hurting. Gently she placed her hands over his and looked him in the eyes, “Thank you for telling me this, Taka. There is nothing to forgive for something you could not help.”

She pulled her hands away to take a drink of her tea and a goofy grin formed while she looked at Taka. “So, you came all this way looking for me to tell me all of this? I’m surprised, really.”
Never would she have guessed that he had come looking for her, but the thought made her happy. He was still as kind as he has ever been since they were young and she wondered just how much he had changed if at all.

Taka seemed to stiffen up a bit as Lily had reached forward and took hold of his hands in her own. His tail curled up slightly as well, wagging a bit, though it was hardly noticeable as he smiled when she spoke. The male mightyena was very happy that she understood the situation that he had been in in the past- for the most part at least. He took a sip of his own tea as she took one of her own before tilting his head to the side when she smiled all goofy like. His ears pinned back as he chuckled softly, raising a hand and rubbing the back of his head softly; looking seemingly defeated and discovered out. “Well, I suppose we should get back to pack, hm?” He smiled as he used the table as support and pushed himself up onto his feet, stretching out as he did so before looking around at what else they had left to do.

Most of the big items had already been pulled out and put together. All that seemed to be left now was boxes with decorative items and other things, like books, knickknacks and whatnots. “Hmm..” His tail twitched as he stepped into his bedroom and looked around. There were still a few boxes in there was all. “I can start working on here if you’d like to start setting things up in there?” He turned and smiled at her before walking out and picking up their empty tea glasses, walking over to the sink and washing them out before setting them to the side.

She nodded in agreement to finish unpacking and set her cup on the table to get up and stretch. A yawn escaped her despite trying to hold it in. The hot drink seemed to have made her feel drowsy. “Sure thing. It looks like we might be able to finish before too long.” Lily began to unpack some books, wiping them down, and then placed them on the bookshelf. Afterwards she finished to place the remaining objects and decorations around the room.

When she had finished the room she was in she made her way to Taka’s bedroom and knocked on his sliding door, “I’m done on my end, how are things going in here?” A large yawn escaped her once more and made her feel even more tired. They had been up all night until early morning. Not that she minded, she was relieved to have finished unpacking most if not all of his things. Now all she wanted was to take a nap.

While Lily was taking care of the main room, Taka had been working on the bedroom. He made the bed with the goosedown bedding set, and set up another book shelf too. A bonsai tree or two was place on it alone with a few composing books and a violin propped up against it. He had also put together a desk and had it placed against the window face where eventually his rock garden would be as soon as he purchased a yard.

The male mightyena opened his maw and let out a huge yawn before Lily had knocked on the door. “Yeah, come on in Yuri.” He stood up after placing his locked chest under the bed just as the female arcanine would come in. “How’s it looking out there?” He’d ask, smiling as he would walk past her and looked around, nodding in approval. It all looked great, she seemed to place everything just right and in theme with the rest of the house too! “Looks good, Yuri!” He proclaimed, before turning and smiling at her.

Lily stepped aside to let Taka pass and examine the room that she had finished putting together. He nodded in approval and praised her making her tail wag a little in delight. “Great! Now that we’re done I think I’m going to take a small break.” Giggling she squeezed past him to enter the bedroom and feel the bed with her hands. It was only a twin size bed, yet it felt so soft and comfortable. Lily has always loved to sleep and especially lay on anything she finds to be soft which made the bed seem so tempting to lay on.

Before doing anything she turned back to look at Taka with her tail low with the tip wagging and ears back. She held her arm with her hand looking shy, “Since it’s really late and I’m scared to walk home alone, is it okay if I uh...if I sleep over? Just for the night?” She felt embarrassed to ask, but she was always afraid of being alone in the dark preferring to be around the company of others. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked after all we’ve only just found each other after so many years…

Taka tilted his head to the side as Lily moved over to the bed and began to feel it up with her hands he chuckled softly as she seemed to be so happy in doing so. Though, he knew that his goosedown comforter and pillow- when laid upon, felt like you were sleeping on a cloud. When she turned back to face him he blinks a few times at her stance and then her question. The question itself caused his tail to curl a little bit and sway from side to side softly.

There was no way he would let her walk home alone in the dark- and it was late.. well, early early in the morning. “Of course, Yuri.” He smiled and gestured his hand toward the bed. “Go ahead and get comfortable, I am going to clean the dishes and finish the last few things that need to be unpacked.” He smiled and went to turn around, but stopped, blinking a few times. “I-if you want something more comfortable to sleep in I have a few shirts in the closet.. “ His cheeks felt red before he finally turned around and entered the other room to clean the dishes.

“Thank you, Taka! Oh? If you insist…” Lily blushed at the thought of wearing one of Taka’s shirts to sleep in. When he had left the room Lily searched through his closet to find a suitable shirt for her to wear. A soft black shirt caught her eye and held it up against her to judge its size. It was a good length, long enough to cover her butt although it did not have an opening for her tail to fit so she would have to keep her tail low.

After stripping herself of her clothing and slipping on Taka’s shirt she shyly slid his door open, but kept herself partly hidden. She finally spoke with a shy voice and her face slightly red, “Taka? I-Is this okay?” Lily slid the door open even more to reveal herself. Her wavy hair was let down and the long black shirt smoothed out.

Taka was putting up the last dish after drying it. The sound of the door opening caused his ear to twitch but he didn’t turn around as he stared into the water in the sink. What am I doing..? he thought to himself as he ran his hand through his hair before Lily’s voice caught his ears. the male turned around and instantly his tail curled up tight against him as he stared, opened jawed at the female that was standing before him, in his shirt.

“W-wow…” He whispered out, before he shook his head and took a step forward. “I mean.. Y-yes that is uh.. fine.” he cleared his throat before rubbing the back of his neck softly. “So um.. Ugh.. Would you like to take this to the bed?” His cheeks flushed before he realized what he just said. “I-..I MEAN! No! That isn’t what I meant, I meant..” He brought his hand up and facepalmed mumbling into it. “Would you like to sleep in my bed..” He muttered behind it before dragging his paw softly down his face with a soft smile.

To bed?!
Lily’s face instantly turned red from his response and held her shirt down as she shuffled her feet nervously. She stood silent until he corrected himself and gave a small nod. “I-If that is okay with you...” Part of her felt bad for taking his bed even though he had offered it. While listening for his response she made her way towards the bed, took the pillow into her arms, and walked back to the door.

She tossed the pillow lightly over to Taka, “Here, at least take the pillow I don't really need it so you should have it.” She wasn’t sure where exactly he would be sleeping, but it was the least that she could do after he had offered her his bed. Lily hid behind the door a little again with her ears back as she looked at Taka, “I’m going to sleep now, g-goodnight Taka.”

He couldn’t help himself, as his eyes looked over her perfect form as she stood there, shifting her feet nervously. When she looked at him again, he quickly adverted his gaze, blushing deeply behind his fur. She must think me some kind of perv!

Taka nodded softly when she asked if it was okay with him and when she was out of sight, the male spun around in a circle with his hands in the air. What ARE you doing?! He proclaimed to himself, tail twitching and shaking his head back and forth before turning around just in time for Lily to appear in the doorway again, hidden partly behind it as she tossed the pillow at him.

The male caught it and smiled softly, nodding again. “N-night, Yuri.. Rest well, if you need anything, I will be right here, okay?” He muttered, his tail still curled tightly behind him, and his ears pinned back softly.

Lily nodded in return and smiled, “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning.” Quickly she hopped into the soft bed and lay there for a moment. What a crazy day this has become… She crawled beneath the blanket and curled into a ball relishing the warmth and comfort that the bed provided. Her tail curled around her and she held it close as she fell into a deep sleep.

Taka finished unpacking a few more things and set them up in the front room- quietly. Eventually, he peeked into the bedroom to check up on Lily. He found her in a ball under the blankets and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. With the pillow in hand, he moved over to the bed and placed it on the edge, she that if she startled awake- she wouldn’t hurt herself.

The male then made his way back out into the front room and sat down at the table with one of his books on astrology and began to read it, even though morning was already on it’s way. There was a soft knock at the door at some point in the early hours, and he got up to answer it. It was a letter from his grandfather. Taka took it back to the table and opened it.

‘Happy Birthday my boy! Hope all is going well in that new home of yours.
I have a surprize for you when Merodi arrives, make sure you look for it!
Best wishes to ya.
- Pops’

Taka chuckled softly, as he set the letter off to the side before returning to his studies. However, it didn’t take long after that, for the male mightyena to pass out- face planted in the pages of the open book. Though he might have slept well, there is no telling how sore is back is going to be in the morning… Or when ever he wakes up that is!