Title: When the Inside Wants Out

A/N: O...M...G. I'm back guys! I'm so sorry for leaving you hanging but I was going through some old stories and I found this and I thought "hey, this wasn't so bad. I should finish this." Besides, there's an utter shortage of IGPX fics here and I need to do my part in contributing a nice, completed one! So here's chapter eight for you! Whoo! It's so good to be back!

Sorry it's so short. I'm getting back into the groove! Thanks for all the positive reviews guys! After this I'll definately do a smexy Cunningham x Liz.

Chapter eight: Liquid Band-Aid

“So you got into a fight with Liz, instead of just politely asking her to dinner?!” Amy groaned as she finished listening to my excuse.

“Look, I don’t wanna get into it again. Let’s just enjoy the food. Japanese is my favorite,” I smiled while breaking apart my chopsticks.

Amy followed suit, but didn’t make a move to eat.

“It’s Liz’s favorite too,” she whispered.

I pretended I didn’t hear her, but it was more difficult to pretend that I didn’t feel the way I did about Liz. Every moment I spent with Fantine had begun to feel like time wasted, and ever since the mishap at the hotel, I hadn’t even been tempted to call her to apologize.

“Maybe you should call her,” Amy offered up her cell phone, but I let my gaze drop down to the food.

Not Fantine…Liz.

“She’s probably got something better to do. I won’t bother,” I picked up a dumpling with one of my chopsticks but hen groaned when it slipped out of my hold and into a bowl of teriyaki sauce. The brown liquid splashed up onto my good dress shirt and created an obnoxious stain.

“Bad omen,” Amy mumbled through a bite of her sashimi.

I growled and dropped my chopsticks.

“You’re making that up,” I protested although my fingers were slowly making their way towards my cell phone.

“Well, as long as you’re feeling guilty, there’s no harm in calling Liz. She can cover part of the—

Amy stopped suddenly, and all the color seemed to drain from her face. I set down my cell phone and stared in confusion. Her eyes were locked in a spot over my head and just as I was about to turn, she pulled me back.

“Don’t,” she said quickly. “Forget Liz. It’s just like you said. She’s probably got something better to do.”

“What?” I snapped. “You just told me to—

“—you know what, let’s just leave. I’m full!” Amy grabbed my wrist suddenly and jerked me forward so that my glass of water tipped over and spilled down onto my pant leg.

“Hey! Amy! Be more careful, will you!?” I tore my wrist out of her hand and spun around, locking eyes with the two people I never watned to see out together in my life.

“Hey Takashi, Amy…funny meeting you guys here,” Cunningham gave me a lopsided grin, and ran a hand through his hair.

He continued to say something else, but at that moment, I was too focused on Liz to care. She clung to Cunningham's shoulder with one hand, the other clutching a purse to the front of a short black cocktail dress I had no idea she owned. Her hair was put up in some sort of a fancy twist and had bright colored pins running around it in a spiral.

She looked totally awkward and out of place, but I wouldn’t deny she looked good. Hell, she looked great.

“Hey man,” she breathed softly as our eyes met, and her hand fell away from Cunningham’s shoulder.

“Hey,” I said it weakly, not sure, if I should be angry or heartbroken.

“Were you just leaving?” Cunningham gestured towards our table and the scarcely eaten food. I took my eyes off Liz and finally settled on the right emotion.

Revulsion.

“Yeah. I…I just lost my appetite,” With a pained smile on my lips, I dabbed at the stain on my shirt with a napkin and started to turn.

“Hey wait,” Cunningham put a hand on my shoulder at the last moment. “How about we all just sit down and—

It was a simple, friendly gesture, but I shrugged him off, regardless. “Don’t touch me, okay?”

Cunningham's eyes narrowed sharply and Liz curled her fists at her sides. I could practically feel the anger emanating from her, but just scoffed. What did she have to be angry about?

“Touch whatever the fuck you want on her, but not me.” I blurted without thinking, and the whole restaurant seemed to go silent. Even Luca was curled warily against Amy’s armpit.

“Takeshi!” she grabbed my arm with her free hand. “No more! Let’s go.”

Despite Amy’s protests, I stayed glued. After that fine explosion, how could I back down?

I watched in earnest for Liz’s reaction, but she just stared at me, a bit angry, a bit dumbfounded.

“You’re getting out of line, Takeshi. Take Amy’s advice and go cool down. Get out of here before you embarrass yourself.” Cunning ham put his arm around Liz’s shoulders and squeezed.

So you’re trying to make me jealous? Is th at it? I thought irrationally and started up again.

“No, that’s fine! I’ve heard enough from you Cunningham, but you…” I took a step forward. “Liz…you haven’t opened your mouth since I started talking. What’s wrong? You scared of admitting what a lousy friend you’ve been lately?!”

Liz just looked past me, but I knew her well enough to know she was boiling up inside.

“No? Nothing? You’re not going to open your mouth?” I looked at the way she was still holding onto Cunningham and felt my anger flare even more. “No…I guess you only do that for German—

“—Takeshi! God, stop!” Amy grabbed me again.

“Stop what!?” I demanded in a speaking voice that was far too loud for the intimacy of the restaurant.

By that time, I was reeling with anger. It was so out of character for me. I didn’t know why it bothered me so much to see them together, but I knew it wasn’t right. What happened to the old Liz I used to joke around with? The old Liz who was always laughing and smiling?

“Yeah…stop what?” Liz’s voice was soft, but firm. “He’s just saying what he really thinks…isn’t that right, Takeshi? It’s what you’ve thought of me all along? That I’m lousy? That I’m a slut? Is that it?”

I shut up immediately and it was then I came to a conclusion. The only conclusion that worked. Cunningham ruined her. He took her away from me. He stole the Liz I…had fun with…the Liz I fell in love with.

“I need to go,” I said quickly, startled by my own realization.

Fell in love with? I don’t love her…do I?

From the corner of my eye, I could see Amy turning beet red and groups of customers raising their eyebrows in surprise. Cunningham stepped between Liz and me with a frown on his face.

“Glad you’ve finally wised up,” he gave me a little shove in the shoulder that was anything but playful.

I looked away from him and started to stalk off, but Cunningham held me back at the last moment.

“Talk to her like that again and you’re dead,” he whispered into my ear, dangerously. Liz pulled him away before I could react and Amy grabbed my arm, obviously relieved at my change in mood.

“We should leave. It was nice seeing you two,” she apologized silently in their direction. I just kept up an icy cold staring contest with Cunningham.

I shook my head. It was most definitely not nice seeing them together. Yet, I let Amy pull me towards the restaurant’s exit. I didn’t know what I would end up doing if I stayed there any longer. When we got far enough down the street, Amy stopped and faced me in glow of one of the streetlights.

“I don’t know what on earth you were thinking, Takeshi! I’ve never seen you act so…so…” she put her hands on her hips.

“Pigheaded!” Luca finished up.

“Exactly!” Amy gave me a hard sock in the arm. It didn’t hurt, but I was so out of it that I stumbled anyway.

I couldn’t believe all the things I’d said…

“I can’t imagine what Liz did to deserve that! Just because you’re jealous—

“—I’m not jealous—

“—does NOT give you the right to humiliate her in such a…a…Luca?!” Amy shook with anger.

“Boorish!” Luca readily supplied.

“Manner!” she finished, and then dropped her arms limply at her sides. She stared at me for a long while, waited for me to say something, but I just looked at the dirt.

“I hope you think long and hard about what you did tonight,” Amy panted. “If I was Liz, I don’t know if I’d ever forgive you!”

Finally, I parted my lips to speak. “I…”

Amy waited, but I couldn’t think of anything else.

“I need to go home…” I whispered to myself more than her. “Get some sleep…”

Tired, ashamed, angry, I turned my back on Amy. But just my luck, she started to speak again.

“Liz always liked you,” she said quietly. I didn’t turn around. I just stood with my hands shoved deep into my pockets and my head down low.

“She’ll never admit it, but she admired you so much she really wanted to be your friend. Somewhere along the way…she fell in love.”

My heart caught in my throat.

“You were too dumb or too blind to see it, but she did. Then Fantine came along and Liz was good about that. Great about hiding her feelings. It’s what she does best. She just…she let you have what she thought would make you happy, but she lost you along the way.”

Lost me?

“I know what it is to feel alone…” Amy’s voice got a little softer. “But not to Liz’s extent. She didn’t have anything at first, and then she found you. She thought she had something to hold on to, but not anymore. You grew away from us all Takeshi, but she took it the hardest. It might not have showed, but it’s true.”

“I don’t believe you,” I rasped. “Liz isn’t like that.”

Amy scoffed. “You don’t know one thing about her, do you, Takeshi?”

“I—

“—and to think I actually wanted her to end up with you…”

Startled, I turned to face her once more, but found that this time; she had her back to me.

“What a waste. She’s better off with Cunningham,” Amy walked away from me.

I stood there under the lamplight for a good ten minutes before heading home. I had never felt so empty before in my entire life.

Takeshi... you meanie. Lol.