If this plane was going any slower, it would fall out of the sky.
Besides the childish ranting of his uncle across the aisle, Shu flinched every time he heard Inari's drunken screeching from several rows back. As much as he loved his uncle, he was feeling more and more claustrophobic with every passing moment. Wasn't the whole point of this ridiculous escape to get away from that?
As the captain announced that they would be landing soon, Shu breathed an audible sigh of relief, sipping from his bottle of water to wet his suddenly dry throat. His whole system seemed to lock up whenever he started thinking about doing anything stupid or impulsive…
The landing in Narita was smooth and uneventful, and as Shu was an experienced flyer, he wasn't overly concerned. Gathering up his briefcase and listening to the small voice in his head that he habitually ignored, he slipped out of the plane before his uncle or Inari noticed. Stretching his long legs to stride through the terminal quickly, he ducked into baggage claim, a small, giddy ball expanding in his chest. After getting his bag, he glanced around, a little lost. He liked plans, he needed plans, but here he was, functioning without them. Finally collapsing on a bench, he dropped his head in his hands, diving his finger through his hair and unsettling his glasses.
"Rough flight?" Popping his head up, Shu stared for a moment at the woman who also sat on the bench. He hadn't even noticed her when he sat down. Aghast at the blush that rose in his cheeks, he cleared his throat. She'd spoken to him in English, but Shu had spent two years at Oxford, and was almost unaccented, he was so fluent.
"No, not particularly." Her face still had a soft, almost smile as she tilted her head, watching him with the detached interest of a stranger. She wore jeans, a red graphic tee, and blue Converse with the casual ease of comfort. Big eyes the color of amber watched him from a forest of dark lashes, her hair, just a few shades darker than chestnut, gathered up in a messy bun on the top of her head. She was just above average height, slim and relaxed. Her duffel was tossed down on the ground, one foot jiggling in the air as she crossed her legs.
"A woman, then." Shu blinked, finding himself unable to lie to this pretty, open stranger. She laughed, patting his hand companionably. Suddenly, her eyes popped wide. "Damn, that was in English. Sorry." With ease, she switched over to Japanese. "There's plenty to give a man worry, but we women do love to top that list." As she was speaking, Shu's eyes caught a flash of movement over her shoulder, paling when he saw a weaving Inari making her way into the baggage claim area. The woman next to him must have caught his expression, because she glanced over her shoulder.
"That her?"
"Yes," Shu managed to grind out, finding himself locked to the bench, quickly looking away before Inari made eye contact. Oh, Christ, what was he going to do? The woman next to him looked at him consideringly for a moment before speaking again, this time in a lower whisper designed not to be overheard.
"Bad break-up?"
"We were never together," Shu whispered violently in response, practically vibrating in place as indecision tore at him. If he ran now, he would undoubtedly make things worse. And to be honest, he was tired of running. But if he stayed, there would assuredly be another confrontation, and with the amount of alcohol sliding through Inari's system, it was bound to be ugly.
"OK, then. Do me a favor?" Bringing his eyes back to her swiftly, Shu's brows beetled for a moment before the push-over in him bowed. Like it always did.
"Sure," he said hesitantly. Shit, Inari was only fifteen feet away, tops!
"Come here," she said, wagging her finger at him. Stressed and consistently obedient, Shu leaned towards her, his mind racing. Everything suddenly went blank, however, when she moved in, smooth and fast, and pressed her lips to his. One arm wrapped around his neck, while the fingers of her other hand slid into his hair. Stunned and completely off-balance, his hands went to her hips in an attempt to right himself, his eyes instinctively closing. Oh, my God.
Her mouth was warm, and unbearably soft. She was pressed against him intimately, the supple give of her breasts against his chest making his heart beat like a war drum. He could actually feel his blood slam against his skin as her fingers trailed over his ear before running along his jaw. Slitting his eyes open a fraction, he watched as one of her eyes popped open before he realized that Inari was sobbing, and trotting away on her silly heels.
The stranger kissing him broke away gently, smiling at him a little as she ran her fingers over his shoulders and lightly down his chest, turning to make sure Inari wasn't coming back in to rip at them. Shu was glad she looked away, barely able to command his hands to drift away from her, let alone speak. Clearing his throat a few times, he managed to look around, noting the speculative glances he, and his unknown kissing partner, were getting. Feeling red burn along the skin of his face, he looked back at her, his vision in one eye a little fuzzy. When their eyes met, that perpetual half smile of hers tilted higher.
"I'd say that fixed your problem." Shu was shocked to feel a rusty chuckle work its way free from his chest. She reached up, nudging one side of his glasses so they settled back on his nose right, the clear vision of her sliding into view. "You were a good sport. I hope everything works out." His throat clicking a little as he swallowed, his eyes tracked her as she stood.
"Thanks. That was a… unique solution." Her tilted mouth, generous lips that he still couldn't believe he'd kissed, spread into a warm grin.
"Unique's kind of what I do. Good luck," she bid as she leaned down and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. She was already across the room before Shu managed to gather himself.
"Good luck," he murmured to her retreating back. Huffing a sigh, he flopped against the back of the bench, his mind struggling with the events that had flipped by in a matter of seconds.
He had been unreasonably cruel to Inari, that much he could admit to himself. But, dammit, the woman scared him brainless, and when he pride reared its ugly head, it was always nasty business. He was tired of jangling at the end of her chain, forced to do her bidding through fear. He didn't have any affection for her, but he'd felt plenty of worry. And guilt, he reluctantly admitted to himself. He had tried to end their twisted connection by boarding the plane to Narita. Fate, it would seem, had not been satisfied, however. So he ran. But he didn't know where to go or what to do. Indecision didn't become him, he decided with a windy sigh.
And her. The woman whose name he didn't even know had kissed him in public. Had she been saving him from a confrontation, or satisfying some strange agenda? Honestly, Shu didn't care. She'd rescued him from facing down a drunken Inari with the best kiss he'd ever had. Just because he'd never had sex with a woman – that he could remember – didn't mean he'd never kissed one (no matter how Kuranosuke defined sexual inexperience). There had been a few since high school, including his first girlfriend who had cornered him and violently snogged his brains out after class. But her…
She'd been warm, soft, open, and gentle. He was probably idealizing her, but there was a strange sort of magic to kissing a woman you didn't even know. She had been uninhibited without being intimidating, her obvious sense of humor refreshing. The fact that he would never see her again hurt only a little.
Shu stood, gathering his bags and righting his tie before walking out of the claim area, a few whispers riding along his trail. But he was too deep in thought to hear them. Moving with the courage granted by a kiss, he walked along the terminal aisle, his eyes plastered on the destination signs above each of the boarding areas as he walked by. He'd almost walked past it before he stuttered to a halt, his instincts kicking into sudden overdrive.
Los Angeles, California.
Walking up to the counter, he bought a first class ticket for the next flight, which would be leaving in an hour. Strangely satisfied with the delay, he settled down into one of the waiting chairs, totally unaware of an American woman in a red t-shirt and blue jeans sitting a few aisles away, facing the opposite direction. He was busily talking down his father on the phone when his area was called to board, digging through his briefcase while the rest of the passengers made their way onto the plane. As the flight settled on course, Shu was quickly dragged to sleep, passing most of the ten hour flight tucked under an American Airlines emblazoned blanket. It was something of a sanctuary after talking down his father, who was mad enough to bend steel and demanded to know if his son and heir had completely lost his mind. Shu was afraid that, indeed, he had.
When he woke, yawning wide enough for his jaw to crack, he looked at his watch, blearily groaning when it read two in the morning. When the pilot cheerfully announced that it was almost ten a.m., he sighed, quickly changing the hands so they read the correct time. For now. Again walking along the terminal, he watched for the next sign. Never one to move on such pure instinct, Shu found that he was enjoying this sort of vagabond-esque behavior. Regardless of his father's fury.
Deciding that it was time he saw the Rocky Mountains on the spot, Shu bought a ticket for Denver, heading out to grab a quick meal – he felt like dinner but it was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch – before settling back down, his iPod playing in one ear as he took off his tie, folding it before stuffing it in the pocket of his suitcase. He looked like a decidedly rumpled Japanese businessman, the strange, peaceful smile on his face belying the spikes sleep had carved into his hair or the angrily buzzing phone in his briefcase.
When he faintly heard a woman behind him talking happily into a cell, he thought vaguely that she had a pleasant voice, nothing more. Having traded her red t-shirt for a black tank top, Audrey Reynolds stacked her vintage Converse-clad feet on a vacant chair, ready to be home and done with flying. It was rough on her body, but good for her soul.
As she bid her father farewell and hung up the phone, Audrey let her mind wander. It had been a fun, successful tour, and she had managed to squeeze in enough research for her next book to warrant a decent sabbatical for the next couple of weeks. But she was ready to be home – her mom and dad were raring to get updates, and she had to get in calls to all of her siblings. It would inevitably take hours. Remembering the man on the bench, she smiled.
He'd looked so hassled, so lost and befuddled. He'd been fairly adorable, his face all strong bones and square angles with thick black hair she imagined was normally carefully combed. Lost, pretty dark eyes that she had a feeling could be sharp as knives or soft as velvet. And she'd always been a sucker for glasses. None of that excused kissing him, of course, but it had been a heat of the moment decision that Audrey couldn't quite bring herself to regret. He had the potential to be a very good kisser if he loosened up a little; not that she would ever have a chance to see otherwise, but it was fun to imagine.
She would have laughed at his panic if she hadn't sensed his desperation – that, and Audrey had a thing against women who hunted men beyond the point of willingness. The chase was fun, but it couldn't have been anymore clear that he was not interested, and desperate to get away. And something else… a history that the curious nerd in Audrey thirsted to know. Settling back as she texted one of her brothers, she smiled impishly. So she'd achieved her good deed and mischievous act for the day in one fell swoop. She loved it when that happened.
Shu's phone had finally stilled, and he was dozing away the last half hour before boarding. Once he landed, he'd be faced with all sorts of questions and decisions. Where he was going to stay, for one. But he figured that would come when he got there, and tried to relax with that blasé decision. It lasted for about a second before he dragged himself forward, fishing out his phone. Noticing the missed calls and messages from his father, he winced, still slightly bobbing his head to the music from his earbud as he texted his brother. He was curious what Kuranosuke would think of his staid older brother running off across the globe. Because of a woman.
With a scoffing grunt, he rubbed his brow, jumping a little when the phone jingled immediately in his hand.
Right on! See you whenever you get back. Til then, have fun (and hopefully sex w/ some1 besides that bitch)! Love, K
Shaking his head and raising his eyes to the ceiling with a smile, Shu called his assistant to arrange for the delivery of most of his effects, not noticing when one of his fellow passengers in a black tank top stood to go to the restroom as he waited for the other end to pick up. Still not sure what to do about lodgings, he swallowed his personal organizational demands, and decided to see what was what when he landed. When he was called to board, he settled in quickly again, ready to find a place to stay and sink his feet into some strange land. Surprising how quickly his itchy feet faded.
Shu was twisted around towards the window answering the question of the passenger behind him when Audrey inched her way down the aisle, Audrey snoozing through most of the comparatively short flight of two and a half hours while Shu watched the rough landscape with interest, feeling his eyes go wide when they crossed the continental divide. He'd never seen anything so elementally unapologetic.
Having foregone checking his luggage, Shu made his ponderous way through the terminals, eventually finding a customer service desk. He had just asked the blond woman repeatedly popping gum if she could check vacancies at the nearby hotels when someone bumped into his arm. When he turned to apologize, his eyes clashed with the golden ones of the woman from Narita who had kissed him.
It was a tie as to who was more surprised. For a long moment, they just stared at each other. Audrey collected herself first, eyeing him closely as she flashed her trademark half smile.
"You following me, tiger?" she asked in her natural English, shedding her Japanese as soon as they'd crossed the Date Line. Scrambling to close his mouth, Shu's teeth clicked together as his mouth clapped shut.
"No," he said hurriedly. "Not on purpose." Looking past him at the woman at the desk, she offered a smile and nod, hoping to buy a little time as her mind galloped. The customer service employee had seen far, far stranger things during her time behind the desk, and today had been particularly boring. Content to watch the bespectacled Asian guy and skinny pixie-looking chick duke it out, she nodded in return, rocking back in her chair as she popped her gum like gunfire.
Impulse, Audrey thought again. This guy just seemed to bring it out in her. Maybe because he seemed so unlikely to follow his own.
"You need a place to stay?" Of course he did, but Shu wasn't quite sure why she was asking.
"Ummm… Yes," he finally said hesitantly, tipping his head in a manner that told Audrey he wasn't used to random acts of kindness.
"Then you're in luck. Come on!" She turned, winking at the customer service woman and calling her thanks as she strode for the exit. Shu debated with himself for about five seconds before the woman behind the desk spoke.
"What the hell are you waiting for?" Looking at the blond woman in shock, he glanced over at the stranger's retreating back.
"Nothing," he heard himself murmur, snatching up his bags and jogging after her.
Sigh. Someday I'll get back to my novel.
Started Princess Jellyfish because I watched a very decent AMV for it. Fell in love with Shu the first time that I saw him. The fact that he was voiced by Ian Sinclair, one of my newer favorite VA's, made it even better. I hated Inari. That bitch deserved the slap, even though as a female, I am strongly against violence between the sexes.
This will also be minor Kuranosuke /Tsukimi, when I do flashes back to Japan. I like Tsukimi, but I didn't get the right vibe between her and Shu. I feel like Kuranosuke is a much better choice for her, and that he will boost her severely lagging confidence until she learns to stand on her own. Shu isn't that balanced, and he needs someone to break that push-over streak that basically makes his life miserable. That, and somebody had GOT to teach him to stand up for himself. That's why I made Audrey. Pretty much the adult version of one of my original characters, she's brash, confident, and easy-going. Just the person to teach Shu how to go with the flow, and find his bliss. And the kiss made me laugh. Not sure why it popped into my head, but it latched in and wouldn't let go. No reason not to do it, I suppose.
As always, review. I love to hear from all you gorgeous wonders.
Hope you like it!
Love, Tango