I don't own G Gundam. Don't sue cause you'll get nothing from a poor
student like me.REVIEW PLEASE I'll write more if you REVIEW!
Reunion By Starhopper
Chapter 1
Against the backdrop of waving grass plains that flow over the landscape like water, there sits a champion in his red cloak, but he has long set down the dagger hidden beneath it. He rests on a lone rock jutting from the ground in a rebellion against the peaceful serenity of the Great Plains in North America. And it is here that he chooses to sit, as if to show the world that he no longer rejects the peace, but has become apart of it.
Though it is bright with a light breeze, the lone man sitting with cloak draped over his shoulders and eyes cast to the ground is in a world of black and balmy stillness.
* * *
It was dark. A single chain of energy suddenly surged through his body as the receptors at his shoulders and spine let out a tongue of electricity. Screaming, he wound it around his fingers, lending his self-generated strength to that mechanical power of his Gundam. At that point he could only be that fighter. The only thing he could hear was the humming of the many machines monitoring his every exhalation, every heartbeat, every blink. The only thing he could see was the three-hundred sixty-degree view from the cockpit, stretching across his field of vision from one side of the chest to the other. The only thing he could feel was the motion sensor suit plastered onto his bare skin, sticking to every wrinkle, every imperfection.not there was any to be had.
Domon opened his eyes and grinned. The world may change, his life may change, but he would never change. His ego was still as big as his heart, though both had taken a beating in his life.
But no more was the Gundam that he had fought so well with. It was now weighted to the bottom of the lake by which he now lived. At times, when the wave of nostalgia washed over him, he would dive off the pier and visit his old friend. Indeed it was in those dives that he was able to make the so-called "transition" that she marveled at.
He allowed himself a smile, thinking on that very moment that he realized she was - well the one he was fighting for.sort of. Despite the fact that they had been together nearly some five years now, Domon still found it difficult to put his feelings into words. But she understood. It was because of this that he had been such a good Gundam Fighter in the first place. He had already been emotionally inaccessible, but with her help he was slowly getting over it.
"Help," - if that's what you could call their son. This "Help" that had forced tears from the dry sockets of the twenty-one year old the day he first became that father, that protector he had so long admired. "Help" in the form swaddled in cloth that had been placed into his arms, arms that had once strained and popped with veins in a match, but now tried to be ever so gentle with the tiny infant. Yes, if you could call little Tetsudau "Help", he deserved to be named it.
In fact there he was now, toddling along in the brush while his mother followed after, pulling her long green dress out of the tangle of weeds and burrs. Meanwhile Tetsu was finding his independence exhilarating, leaping high over molehills with arms stretched out at his sides, letting out great shouts of happiness and freedom that only children so young can experience. But all of the folly was suddenly forgotten when he caught sight of his dad sitting so still in the sunlight.
"Daddy!" Tetsu called, breaking into a toddling run before his mother had the chance to catch him.
Domon beamed at the shout of recognition, kneeling down from the rock to catch the little boy in his arms. He embraced him tightly, breathing in the scent of the soft little head. Upon feeling his son wriggle in protest to the closeness, he let him go with a hearty laugh.
"Alight, you're free,"
He watched him run as little toddlers do, completely overconfident in their ability to move by themselves, but wary of how sure their footing could be. Tetsu giggled as his mother tickled his shoulders on his pass by her, running into her legs and taking off again. Smiling back, she continued to her husband.
"Domon, you've been out here an awfully long time,"
Smiling, he lowered his head and sighed. "I was thinking," Boy, that was an understatement. Chuckling to himself, he rose and took her hand, "I was thinking about the past Rain,"
She blinked in surprise. "The past?"
"You needn't worry," pulling softly on the fingers in his palm, she moved closer. "I promise." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.
Rain leaned into the kiss, waiting for him to draw away so that she could fall into his strong, secure embrace. When it broke she nestled her head into his shoulder, completely content. However, Domon persisted to think and it reflected greatly in the way he held his arms around her.
"Domon," she raised her head, staring directly into those cool black eyes, "Is there something else?"
At first he started to shake his head, turning his face away from direct contact with her inquisitive and concerned expression. Then he moved back, letting his arms fall away from her waist. He knew that she knew.
"It's the anniversary isn't it?"
Domon cast his eyes to the ground, licking his lips in agitation. "I know it shouldn't bother me, but," he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It's been four years since the last match."
Rain smiled with somewhat relief, rubbing his left shoulder in comfort. "I know," now it was her turn to look away, even pulling out of his embrace entirely. "I find it hard at times to think about the fights. How extremely violent they were and yet,"
"And yet we as Gundam fighters never gave it a second thought."
She turned back, feeling a slight breeze kick up around her knees causing her dress to billow about her legs. "Right. And now with Tetsu, I worry sometimes," as if on cue their son ran between them, jumping about, blabbering something that sounded vaguely like "others".
"Yes, yes, Tetsu, 'others'," Rain dropped down to his level, trying to direct his attention to a flock of birds with her hand. "But they have names, they're called,"
"No," Domon stopped her with his interruption as he switched onto an almost defunct fighter alert mode. "No, he's right, I can hear them,"
* * *
Just as the corelander hovered four feet for landing, Domon leaped from the craft, touched down on the ground, and took off in the direction of the vaguely familiar sounds. There was the loud, boisterous laugh of an American, refined chuckle of a Frenchman, deep booming of a Russian, and even the joyful chittering of a Chinese man.
Ignoring his family's calls, Domon continued at a sprint, his mind racing, "Could it be?"
"DOMON!" was the unanimous answer to his thoughts.
For a brief second he was seriously confused. One moment he had been running towards nothing but the endless blue sky and rolling fields that lazily tumbled from the Blue Mountains, and the next he was staring up at a circle of faces. Then the laughter started all over again and his clumsiness was soon forgotten.
The boisterous American was the first to stoop down and offer a hand to the fallen man. By now without some gloating. "Why if it isn't the famed Neo Japan champion fighter, sitting on his ass like the common spectator!" "Oh, come now," The regal Frenchman pushed the other out of the way and grasped Domon's hand firmly. With one of his christened grins, he had the other member of the shuffle alliance on his feet and standing in the middle of their reunion ring.
"What? What'd I do?"
The Russian cast a seemingly cold look over to the American with a perpetual piece of straw between his lips.
"What? I didn't see you not laughing!"
"Yeah Bro, you'd think you had never fought before with that new move," The Chinese man nudged Domon in the ribs while the French knight joined the Russian in staring down the ignorant hayseed.
For a second Domon swore he was going to start laughing again, but he only collapsed onto his knees, and brought the heels of his palms to his eyes.
When the banter between the men died down, they all turned to the man blubbering out something that sounded like a "thank you all" in the prairie grass.
"HUH?"
The ex-fighter pulled his fists away from his face and smiled up at them. "No, I'm okay. It's just that," he looked to each of his partners, his black eyes shining a reflection of the other shuffle members. "Chibodee, Argo, Sai-saici, George.you're really here."
Suddenly the massive shadow of Argo fell over him as the Russian moved out of the way so that someone could join her husband in the center of the circle. She helped him up, regardless of how his jelly-filled legs responded. They turned, Domon's left arm using her right shoulder for support, the brilliant blue eyes of Rain smiling for her embarrassed husband.
"Welcome all of you," she bit her lip, feeling some tears of her own start to work their way to the surface as she scanned the familiar faces. "Please, make yourselves at home." As they neared the corelander where Tetsu impatiently waited, Domon perked up and slowly let his arm fall to his wife's waist. She let her head rest back on his shoulder where it didn't stay for long. She immediately stooped over the door of the corelander and picked up the toddler who by now was fussing so much she had to wind her fingers into the straps of his overalls to keep him from wriggling out of her grasp. As she brought him to sit in the crook of her arm, their friends took a step back, then a step forward.
"Why you old dog," Chibodee was the first to nudge Domon in the ribs as the father beamed with pride.
"May I hold him?" George moved forward.
Tetsu wondered at the figure before him, pinned with shiny medals and swinging tassles. He practically leapt out of Rain's arms at the prospect of playing with those things when she handed her son to the French knight.
George held him up and buzzed his cheek. "Why bonjour monsieur!" he gave Tetsu a little raise into the air and brought him back down. "What a happy little fellow!" Before Tetsu was able to grab onto one of George's shoulder tassles, he was hoisted back into the air and set back down on the ground to run about.
Domon leaned in toward Chibodee, "Boy, he's good,"
"He has to be," The American sashayed his way up to the knight and tapped him on the shoulder, "isn't that right Georgy-boy?"
George's right-eye twitched in irritation.
Hands behind his head, Sai-saici elbowed George in the arm, "That's right, I almost forgot,"
Scooping up her son from one of his passes around her legs, Rain asked "What?"
"George is gonna be a dad-dy!" The ex-fighter for Neo-China crooned.
Domon's face went dumb. "What?"
The knight scratched his forehead and continued to hold his hand there, massaging a growing head-ache. "I will, someday,"
"Aw c'mon buddy," Chibodee pressed on, further irritating the Frenchman to no end, "You and Marie Louise just got engaged, it's only a matter of time before,"
The violet eyes flashed in protectiveness. Turning, George stabbed a pristine gloved finger at the top corner of the American's star on his t- shirt and stared at him. "Don't you dare talk of my Lady again, Monsieur Croc-kett,"
Domon heard the sharp t on the tip of his friend's tongue and guessed that this argument had been long coming. Good naturedly smiling, he spread his arms and shouted above the growing din of short apologies and flaring French curses, "Alright then! Time for some drinks!"
Chibodee immediately looked up from the discussion and smiled, moving the piece of straw to the side of his mouth for an answer. "Sounds great Domon,"
George was left muttering to himself in the background as the ex-fighters moved into the house, following behind at a slow pace to allow the teetering toddler to lead them.
* * *
"So, I guess we know what you've been up to these past years old friend," Argo commented as he watched Domon happily bounce his son on his knee, trying his hardest to distract Tetsu from all the new visitors and what loose garments they were wearing. Tetsu had the tendency to want to pull anything that had some give in it.
"Well," The Neo-Japan fighter stopped the game and set Tetsu on the floor to run about. "After we came to earth, we traveled for a bit, took in some of the sights we had missed when fighting, and then settled down to have him," he nodded over to the little boy, giggling and running laps about the circle rug on the great room floor. He chuckled, "I never thought we'd end up in America, that's for damn sure."
"It's nice, - thanks." Sai-saici bowed slightly as Rain handed him some sake. "It's almost as nice as Denmark,"
"Denmark?!" Domon suddenly smiled at the young man, remembering the short- lived romance between the Neo-China fighter and the sister of Neo-Denmark's champion. "You and Cecil?"
The twenty-year old blushed and quickly turned his attention to watching the distant prairie lands through the window.
Domon looked over to Chibodee, who seemed to be up to date with all of his fellow shuffle member's lives for some sort of validation in his guess.
The American nodded. "Right now they're trying to work out some sort of living arrangement."
Before he could get too far in his explanation, Sai-saici mustered up some social courage and walked over to join the group. "We're planning half a year there, half a year in China." He looked down at his feet in thought and fell back into an overstuffed recliner nearest the window.
Rain, feeling the youngest member's discomfort, sat beside Domon on the couch and set her eyes on the large Argo Dulski. "What about you Argo? Anything new with you?"
"Besides the fact that he's no longer the leader of his space pirate gang?"
Argo shot a stare to the loud-mouth American, and cooled his gaze for Mrs. Kashuu. "I've enlisted in the Russian Defense Corps." But even with a sweet look, his eyes still seemed distant, pondersome.
"What ever happened to your guard, Nastasha?"
"Well," for once Argo seemed a little shy to talk. Looking down at his lap, he shifted in his seat. "She's at home with the kids,"
"KIDS?!"
"I didn't even know about that!" Chibodee was right in Argo's face, his glare accusing. "WHY didn't I know about this?"
There was silence, everyone at the edge of their seats, waiting for the other man's response. Even Tetsu was silent, for he had collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion. Then Argo smiled evilly.
"Perhaps it's because you were preoccupied with your own family woes."
Chibodee sunk back into his seat, finding the wood slabs of the ceiling more fascinating than the faces that searched his expression.
"What?" he spread his hands innocently, reaching for his cup of beer. "Bunny's pressing me for a proposal, that's all."
Argo rolled his hand on his wrist, urging the American to continue. "And."
"And I don't know what to tell her." Chibodee huffed, crossing his arms.
"Just fall to your knees and tell her what you really feel," Domon was holding Rain's hand, his thumb gently stroking the long fingers. "It worked for me,"
"Wish I could gut it up like you buddy," Chibodee leaned back into the chair, tossing his right leg over his left in a casual manner.
"At the rate you're going Monsieur," George smiled under the cover of his cup of wine, "You will never say 'I do'."
"And who says I want to?"
"And who says you don't?" Argo threw back, arching his left slightly, sending Chibodee outside of the house in a flurry of jean fringes and cigarette smoke.
"Four years has been a long time, you would think he'd have matured a little," Domon knelt down on the floor and gathered his son in his arms. He stood, Tetsu's snoring little form draped across his arms. Turning, he shrugged and winked at Rain, who blushed in return, "It did wonders for me,"
"Give it some time, and he'll come around," George stood to follow Domon's example. "After all, Madame Bunny made sure that he only carried three cigarettes in his pocket on this trip. He can't possibly be gone longer than it takes for three cigarettes to be smoked down to the stump." Then, turning to Domon, "Would you mind if I help you?"
"Learning from the best of them, eh George?"
Bringing his hands respectfully behind his back, the Neo-France knight closed his eyes and chuckled, "No, just learning from you."
Domon laughed quietly to himself as he slowly tip-toed up the stairs, not wanting to reawaken the hyper toddler.
Reunion By Starhopper
Chapter 1
Against the backdrop of waving grass plains that flow over the landscape like water, there sits a champion in his red cloak, but he has long set down the dagger hidden beneath it. He rests on a lone rock jutting from the ground in a rebellion against the peaceful serenity of the Great Plains in North America. And it is here that he chooses to sit, as if to show the world that he no longer rejects the peace, but has become apart of it.
Though it is bright with a light breeze, the lone man sitting with cloak draped over his shoulders and eyes cast to the ground is in a world of black and balmy stillness.
* * *
It was dark. A single chain of energy suddenly surged through his body as the receptors at his shoulders and spine let out a tongue of electricity. Screaming, he wound it around his fingers, lending his self-generated strength to that mechanical power of his Gundam. At that point he could only be that fighter. The only thing he could hear was the humming of the many machines monitoring his every exhalation, every heartbeat, every blink. The only thing he could see was the three-hundred sixty-degree view from the cockpit, stretching across his field of vision from one side of the chest to the other. The only thing he could feel was the motion sensor suit plastered onto his bare skin, sticking to every wrinkle, every imperfection.not there was any to be had.
Domon opened his eyes and grinned. The world may change, his life may change, but he would never change. His ego was still as big as his heart, though both had taken a beating in his life.
But no more was the Gundam that he had fought so well with. It was now weighted to the bottom of the lake by which he now lived. At times, when the wave of nostalgia washed over him, he would dive off the pier and visit his old friend. Indeed it was in those dives that he was able to make the so-called "transition" that she marveled at.
He allowed himself a smile, thinking on that very moment that he realized she was - well the one he was fighting for.sort of. Despite the fact that they had been together nearly some five years now, Domon still found it difficult to put his feelings into words. But she understood. It was because of this that he had been such a good Gundam Fighter in the first place. He had already been emotionally inaccessible, but with her help he was slowly getting over it.
"Help," - if that's what you could call their son. This "Help" that had forced tears from the dry sockets of the twenty-one year old the day he first became that father, that protector he had so long admired. "Help" in the form swaddled in cloth that had been placed into his arms, arms that had once strained and popped with veins in a match, but now tried to be ever so gentle with the tiny infant. Yes, if you could call little Tetsudau "Help", he deserved to be named it.
In fact there he was now, toddling along in the brush while his mother followed after, pulling her long green dress out of the tangle of weeds and burrs. Meanwhile Tetsu was finding his independence exhilarating, leaping high over molehills with arms stretched out at his sides, letting out great shouts of happiness and freedom that only children so young can experience. But all of the folly was suddenly forgotten when he caught sight of his dad sitting so still in the sunlight.
"Daddy!" Tetsu called, breaking into a toddling run before his mother had the chance to catch him.
Domon beamed at the shout of recognition, kneeling down from the rock to catch the little boy in his arms. He embraced him tightly, breathing in the scent of the soft little head. Upon feeling his son wriggle in protest to the closeness, he let him go with a hearty laugh.
"Alight, you're free,"
He watched him run as little toddlers do, completely overconfident in their ability to move by themselves, but wary of how sure their footing could be. Tetsu giggled as his mother tickled his shoulders on his pass by her, running into her legs and taking off again. Smiling back, she continued to her husband.
"Domon, you've been out here an awfully long time,"
Smiling, he lowered his head and sighed. "I was thinking," Boy, that was an understatement. Chuckling to himself, he rose and took her hand, "I was thinking about the past Rain,"
She blinked in surprise. "The past?"
"You needn't worry," pulling softly on the fingers in his palm, she moved closer. "I promise." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.
Rain leaned into the kiss, waiting for him to draw away so that she could fall into his strong, secure embrace. When it broke she nestled her head into his shoulder, completely content. However, Domon persisted to think and it reflected greatly in the way he held his arms around her.
"Domon," she raised her head, staring directly into those cool black eyes, "Is there something else?"
At first he started to shake his head, turning his face away from direct contact with her inquisitive and concerned expression. Then he moved back, letting his arms fall away from her waist. He knew that she knew.
"It's the anniversary isn't it?"
Domon cast his eyes to the ground, licking his lips in agitation. "I know it shouldn't bother me, but," he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It's been four years since the last match."
Rain smiled with somewhat relief, rubbing his left shoulder in comfort. "I know," now it was her turn to look away, even pulling out of his embrace entirely. "I find it hard at times to think about the fights. How extremely violent they were and yet,"
"And yet we as Gundam fighters never gave it a second thought."
She turned back, feeling a slight breeze kick up around her knees causing her dress to billow about her legs. "Right. And now with Tetsu, I worry sometimes," as if on cue their son ran between them, jumping about, blabbering something that sounded vaguely like "others".
"Yes, yes, Tetsu, 'others'," Rain dropped down to his level, trying to direct his attention to a flock of birds with her hand. "But they have names, they're called,"
"No," Domon stopped her with his interruption as he switched onto an almost defunct fighter alert mode. "No, he's right, I can hear them,"
* * *
Just as the corelander hovered four feet for landing, Domon leaped from the craft, touched down on the ground, and took off in the direction of the vaguely familiar sounds. There was the loud, boisterous laugh of an American, refined chuckle of a Frenchman, deep booming of a Russian, and even the joyful chittering of a Chinese man.
Ignoring his family's calls, Domon continued at a sprint, his mind racing, "Could it be?"
"DOMON!" was the unanimous answer to his thoughts.
For a brief second he was seriously confused. One moment he had been running towards nothing but the endless blue sky and rolling fields that lazily tumbled from the Blue Mountains, and the next he was staring up at a circle of faces. Then the laughter started all over again and his clumsiness was soon forgotten.
The boisterous American was the first to stoop down and offer a hand to the fallen man. By now without some gloating. "Why if it isn't the famed Neo Japan champion fighter, sitting on his ass like the common spectator!" "Oh, come now," The regal Frenchman pushed the other out of the way and grasped Domon's hand firmly. With one of his christened grins, he had the other member of the shuffle alliance on his feet and standing in the middle of their reunion ring.
"What? What'd I do?"
The Russian cast a seemingly cold look over to the American with a perpetual piece of straw between his lips.
"What? I didn't see you not laughing!"
"Yeah Bro, you'd think you had never fought before with that new move," The Chinese man nudged Domon in the ribs while the French knight joined the Russian in staring down the ignorant hayseed.
For a second Domon swore he was going to start laughing again, but he only collapsed onto his knees, and brought the heels of his palms to his eyes.
When the banter between the men died down, they all turned to the man blubbering out something that sounded like a "thank you all" in the prairie grass.
"HUH?"
The ex-fighter pulled his fists away from his face and smiled up at them. "No, I'm okay. It's just that," he looked to each of his partners, his black eyes shining a reflection of the other shuffle members. "Chibodee, Argo, Sai-saici, George.you're really here."
Suddenly the massive shadow of Argo fell over him as the Russian moved out of the way so that someone could join her husband in the center of the circle. She helped him up, regardless of how his jelly-filled legs responded. They turned, Domon's left arm using her right shoulder for support, the brilliant blue eyes of Rain smiling for her embarrassed husband.
"Welcome all of you," she bit her lip, feeling some tears of her own start to work their way to the surface as she scanned the familiar faces. "Please, make yourselves at home." As they neared the corelander where Tetsu impatiently waited, Domon perked up and slowly let his arm fall to his wife's waist. She let her head rest back on his shoulder where it didn't stay for long. She immediately stooped over the door of the corelander and picked up the toddler who by now was fussing so much she had to wind her fingers into the straps of his overalls to keep him from wriggling out of her grasp. As she brought him to sit in the crook of her arm, their friends took a step back, then a step forward.
"Why you old dog," Chibodee was the first to nudge Domon in the ribs as the father beamed with pride.
"May I hold him?" George moved forward.
Tetsu wondered at the figure before him, pinned with shiny medals and swinging tassles. He practically leapt out of Rain's arms at the prospect of playing with those things when she handed her son to the French knight.
George held him up and buzzed his cheek. "Why bonjour monsieur!" he gave Tetsu a little raise into the air and brought him back down. "What a happy little fellow!" Before Tetsu was able to grab onto one of George's shoulder tassles, he was hoisted back into the air and set back down on the ground to run about.
Domon leaned in toward Chibodee, "Boy, he's good,"
"He has to be," The American sashayed his way up to the knight and tapped him on the shoulder, "isn't that right Georgy-boy?"
George's right-eye twitched in irritation.
Hands behind his head, Sai-saici elbowed George in the arm, "That's right, I almost forgot,"
Scooping up her son from one of his passes around her legs, Rain asked "What?"
"George is gonna be a dad-dy!" The ex-fighter for Neo-China crooned.
Domon's face went dumb. "What?"
The knight scratched his forehead and continued to hold his hand there, massaging a growing head-ache. "I will, someday,"
"Aw c'mon buddy," Chibodee pressed on, further irritating the Frenchman to no end, "You and Marie Louise just got engaged, it's only a matter of time before,"
The violet eyes flashed in protectiveness. Turning, George stabbed a pristine gloved finger at the top corner of the American's star on his t- shirt and stared at him. "Don't you dare talk of my Lady again, Monsieur Croc-kett,"
Domon heard the sharp t on the tip of his friend's tongue and guessed that this argument had been long coming. Good naturedly smiling, he spread his arms and shouted above the growing din of short apologies and flaring French curses, "Alright then! Time for some drinks!"
Chibodee immediately looked up from the discussion and smiled, moving the piece of straw to the side of his mouth for an answer. "Sounds great Domon,"
George was left muttering to himself in the background as the ex-fighters moved into the house, following behind at a slow pace to allow the teetering toddler to lead them.
* * *
"So, I guess we know what you've been up to these past years old friend," Argo commented as he watched Domon happily bounce his son on his knee, trying his hardest to distract Tetsu from all the new visitors and what loose garments they were wearing. Tetsu had the tendency to want to pull anything that had some give in it.
"Well," The Neo-Japan fighter stopped the game and set Tetsu on the floor to run about. "After we came to earth, we traveled for a bit, took in some of the sights we had missed when fighting, and then settled down to have him," he nodded over to the little boy, giggling and running laps about the circle rug on the great room floor. He chuckled, "I never thought we'd end up in America, that's for damn sure."
"It's nice, - thanks." Sai-saici bowed slightly as Rain handed him some sake. "It's almost as nice as Denmark,"
"Denmark?!" Domon suddenly smiled at the young man, remembering the short- lived romance between the Neo-China fighter and the sister of Neo-Denmark's champion. "You and Cecil?"
The twenty-year old blushed and quickly turned his attention to watching the distant prairie lands through the window.
Domon looked over to Chibodee, who seemed to be up to date with all of his fellow shuffle member's lives for some sort of validation in his guess.
The American nodded. "Right now they're trying to work out some sort of living arrangement."
Before he could get too far in his explanation, Sai-saici mustered up some social courage and walked over to join the group. "We're planning half a year there, half a year in China." He looked down at his feet in thought and fell back into an overstuffed recliner nearest the window.
Rain, feeling the youngest member's discomfort, sat beside Domon on the couch and set her eyes on the large Argo Dulski. "What about you Argo? Anything new with you?"
"Besides the fact that he's no longer the leader of his space pirate gang?"
Argo shot a stare to the loud-mouth American, and cooled his gaze for Mrs. Kashuu. "I've enlisted in the Russian Defense Corps." But even with a sweet look, his eyes still seemed distant, pondersome.
"What ever happened to your guard, Nastasha?"
"Well," for once Argo seemed a little shy to talk. Looking down at his lap, he shifted in his seat. "She's at home with the kids,"
"KIDS?!"
"I didn't even know about that!" Chibodee was right in Argo's face, his glare accusing. "WHY didn't I know about this?"
There was silence, everyone at the edge of their seats, waiting for the other man's response. Even Tetsu was silent, for he had collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion. Then Argo smiled evilly.
"Perhaps it's because you were preoccupied with your own family woes."
Chibodee sunk back into his seat, finding the wood slabs of the ceiling more fascinating than the faces that searched his expression.
"What?" he spread his hands innocently, reaching for his cup of beer. "Bunny's pressing me for a proposal, that's all."
Argo rolled his hand on his wrist, urging the American to continue. "And."
"And I don't know what to tell her." Chibodee huffed, crossing his arms.
"Just fall to your knees and tell her what you really feel," Domon was holding Rain's hand, his thumb gently stroking the long fingers. "It worked for me,"
"Wish I could gut it up like you buddy," Chibodee leaned back into the chair, tossing his right leg over his left in a casual manner.
"At the rate you're going Monsieur," George smiled under the cover of his cup of wine, "You will never say 'I do'."
"And who says I want to?"
"And who says you don't?" Argo threw back, arching his left slightly, sending Chibodee outside of the house in a flurry of jean fringes and cigarette smoke.
"Four years has been a long time, you would think he'd have matured a little," Domon knelt down on the floor and gathered his son in his arms. He stood, Tetsu's snoring little form draped across his arms. Turning, he shrugged and winked at Rain, who blushed in return, "It did wonders for me,"
"Give it some time, and he'll come around," George stood to follow Domon's example. "After all, Madame Bunny made sure that he only carried three cigarettes in his pocket on this trip. He can't possibly be gone longer than it takes for three cigarettes to be smoked down to the stump." Then, turning to Domon, "Would you mind if I help you?"
"Learning from the best of them, eh George?"
Bringing his hands respectfully behind his back, the Neo-France knight closed his eyes and chuckled, "No, just learning from you."
Domon laughed quietly to himself as he slowly tip-toed up the stairs, not wanting to reawaken the hyper toddler.