"Hiyori? Hiyoriiiii? Yato is here!"

"Jesus mom, I'm coming- oh, shit! Yato is here!" I hadn't fully registered what my mom had said, but once I did I freaked out. I pulled on my dress as fast as I could, which wasn't very fast considering that freaking zipper in the back.

"Goddamn zipper," I said to myself, "Sorry! Sorry, I'm coming! Just a minute!"

I probably sounded like a madwoman, tripping around my room and yelling to myself. See, I was nervous. And I didn't usually get nervous. But I was going to a dance with a date. Yato no less. I had even pinched myself a few times earlier to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

When I first met Yato at the beginning of sophomore year, we were both completely alone. I had always felt out of place at school, and he did too, so we were brought together. I suppose lonely people always find each other, at some point.

At first I had tolerated him because, honestly, I didn't have many other friends. Plus I felt a little bad for him. He had been annoying and not the nicest person I had ever met. But we still kept each other company.

Then, one day, he opened up. I guess it was only a matter of time before he finally talked about himself, but I was a little surprised at the abruptness of it at the time. He told me about how his parents had died when he was very little, before he could really remember them, and how his whole life had been one big mess of new families and new cities and schools. I that day I had finally understood. He didn't let people in because he was afraid he would never see them again when he was moved to his next foster family.

When he opened up, so did I. and everything changed. He wasn't the boy I tolerated anymore, he was probably the closest friend I've ever had and ever will have. So I guess the attraction that I eventually felt toward him was unavoidable.

"Hiyori?" my nostalgic moment disappeared in a flash because that was Yato's voice, asking for me. Oh man, the nerves were real now. Why did his voice always have that affect on me? Any butterflies that had been in my stomach before had multiplied, so now it felt like my heart was pumped up on drugs it was going so fast. I yanked my last high heel on and made my way downstairs.

Not to be cliché, but seeing Yato nearly made my heart stop, and it was going pretty damn fast. He looked…hot. Take my word for it, grab any boy, stuff him in a suit, and immediately he'll look like a freaking model. Not that Yato wasn't attractive already. He had a pretty nice body, really nice hair (that I had fantasized running my hands through more than once), and those eyes. They weren't sky blue, or ocean blue, or blue-jean blue. They were electric blue. They were so bright you wanted to look away but you couldn't because they were just that beautiful.

"Hey Hiyori, you look great," he said and then he gave me a little smile and dear lord, how could I not have seen how adorable this guy was sooner?

"Thanks, you too," there was a bit of an awkward silence, so I tried to think of something to say, "uh, so-"

My mom interrupted whatever I was going to say.

"Picture time, kids!'

After a very long, awkward photo session, Yato and I finally made it to the dance. Both of us weren't really dance people, so we sat off to the side more most of the fast dances.

Some might have found this weird, but honestly it was what I was most comfortable with. Just sitting and talking with a guy I really liked. And even though we were so comfortable with each other, I couldn't help but be hyperaware of how close his leg was to mine. Or how I could feel the heat of his shoulder pressed against me. Plus he smelled really good.

I wondered if he liked me as much as I like him. I wondered if he even liked me, as in like like, at all! I guess him asking me to the dance should have been a clear sign, but we were close enough that maybe he only saw us as really good friends. God, I hope that wasn't it. If he only wanted to be friends, well that would be mortifying. I pushed that thought out of my mind immediately. I was having fun, and I wouldn't let some little worry ruin my night.

The song that was playing throughout the gym was a slow one, and I couldn't help but look at Yato expectantly. Even if he only saw us as friends, he would ask me to slow dance at least, right? He stood up.

"Hiyori," he held out his hand and I quietly let a sigh of relief escape, "would you like to dance?"

His hand was surprisingly soft, though a little cold, but I had never been happier. We danced in silence for a little bit, him holding me close, I allowed myself to just enjoy the music and attempt to calm my racing heart.

"Hiyori," he murmured right near my ear. I pulled back a bit reluctantly. I had never been this close to him before, and I was savoring every moment of it.

"Mhm?"

"This might sound a bit weird but," wait, was he blushing? He was! "I'm…really happy I met you. I feel like you're the closest friend I've ever had."

Oh my god. What was he saying? Was he saying that in a friends-only way? Or an I-like-you-as-more-then-friends way? I struggled for how to respond. This was the moment, the moment when I decide if I want to confess or not. This could change everything! I suddenly became very conscious of his lips. They were so close to mine. I could just…lean forward and kiss him, and that would be it. We would either be happy together, or he would freak out and I would lose my only friend. Shit! I couldn't stop looking at his lips!

Well, frankly put, he answered my own question for me. In my confused, freaked out state, he had closed the distance between us and suddenly all of my thoughts were put on hold because his lips were on mine. For a moment I was frozen. What should I do? I had never been kissed before so I had no idea how this stuff worked! I felt his hands settle on my waist, and so I decided I should probably do something with my hands too. I wrapped my arms around his neck and I couldn't resist putting my hands in his hair like I had always dreamed about doing.

My lips responded to his and I pushed myself closer to him. His lips were soft and warm and they felt like they had been made for mine. I had never ever imagined that he would kiss me first. I had never thought that he would be interested enough in me to do that! I had always imagined that if we did get together, it would be me confessing to him. But his sudden kiss during the slow dance, well it sure seemed like his confession. The kiss was amazing, but I was pulled out of it by the sudden realization that I couldn't breath. We separated and I couldn't help the little breathless giggle that escaped my lips.

"Wow," Yato said, nearly as breathless as I was. Wow? Wow was right!

"Yeah, wow…" I trailed off, "so, uh, we like each other? I mean, I don't know, if you don't that's ok. But I like you. Obviously. Oh my god." I didn't even know what was coming out of my mouth at this point.

Yato laughed. "I do like you Hiyori. I like you a lot. Obviously, since I just kissed you!"

I felt really stupid. But I also felt really amazing. And since I was scared of what might come out of my mouth next, I decided that I would keep my mouth busy and initiate out next kiss.