"How could you get caught!" Maki yelled behind her through the open slide window separating the front of the red truck from its luggage compartment, "Idiot!"
Honoka could only laugh as the ropes around her body restrained her from any other expressive motion she would have liked to convey. Only being able to voice her discontent, Maki continued to pointed out Honoka's own carelessness, really going into extreme detail on how messy her plans was to begin with. In return, the ginger kept her balance as the truck passed over speed bumps as her driver hide his amusement at her suffering. Maki rode in front with her father while Honoka was seated in the open trunk trying her best not to be bunked out. The ginger had attempted a traditional ceremony where two lovers must pass the ultimate test of love, kidnapping one another. It was a simple thing, Honoka had to keep Maki away from her family for 24 hours. In the meantime, her family and the whole town would hunt for the ginger. If she was able to survive wedding bells would ring and their wedding would be planned. Sadly for the ginger she was caught prematurally so no announcement was rung during their trip home.
"Nice try Honoka!" the ginger heard an elder yell from the porch of his property.
"Get her next time," came another encouragement and Honoka smiled.
"Definitely next time!" Honoka yelled back.
Maki could only faced palm in embarrassment while the ginger glutted around about how she would definitely make an honest woman out of her. Her father on the other hand laughed in secret, afraid to openly express how funny he found the situation in front of his daughter. They eventually arrived in front of the Nishikino household where Honoka payed the family a fine for failing to properly kidnap the redhead.
"I'll get her for sure on my next attempt!" Honoka handed over the check.
"If you keep this up we could be looking at an early retirement," Maki's mother giggled at her own comment.
"Hahaha I hope not," Honoka nervously laughed before being pulled away by a very angry Maki.
"Maki dear where are you heading off to?" her mother called while her father went to cash the check.
"To have a proper drop off with my darling," she growled the last bit and Honoka swallowed back the anxiety.
"Have fun you two," her mother said before the duo disappeared behind the corner.
…
"I'm sick and tired of you always failing!" Maki crossed her arms while Honoka tried to calm her.
"I almost had it this time," Honoka tried to give Maki a kiss but she pulled away, "Maakkii," she whined.
"You're making me the laughing stock of this whole town," she grumbled as they walked side by side towards the Kousaka sweet shop, "This is your punishment for making me wait so long."
"Well if you don't want to wait you can always kidnap me," Honoka suggested but her comment backfired.
"M-Me?" Maki blushed lightly from the thought, "Don't be silly! It has to be you-mou! Can't you see I'm patiently waiting for you? Hurry up and figure it out or else i'll leave you for someone who will!" She fumed away after dropping the ginger off at her place, "Idiot," she mumbled.
Honoka waited for her goodbye hug but the redhead was already gone before any form of affection could be given. Feeling dismissed she sluggishly went inside announcing her arrival, "I'm home…" she grumbled and her family assembled.
"Good try," Yukiho laughed as she mocked the gingers 10th attempt this month, "So how long before you sell your soul?"
"Hahaha," Honoka commented back before being engulfed by her mother's warm embrace.
"Oh! My poor baby!" she cried and Honoka almost believed she had finally received some sympathy, "How could you put Maki through that! Have you no shame?" and they pulled away.
"Eh?" Honoka looked toward her father for any help but the man simple turned away, "I'll make sure to do it right next time!"
"Next time won't cut it!" Her sister bursted into laughter and Honoka's mother began to cry, "Dear isn't there any way to help Honoka?"
Taking offense but still curious to see what her father would say, Honoka looked to the man as he thought over any possible ideas. They all leaned towards him making him feel the overbearing pressured to produce something clever. But due to his honest nature, he was unable to lie to his family as he simply shook his head causing everyone to fall back into place, "That's it! Our family name will end here! Honoka will forever be the laughing stock of this family," her mother sniffed.
"I get it!" Honoka squinted her eyes as she recovered from the roast, "I have a really good feeling about this time! I feel like I really go it down!"
"Let's hope," Yukiho rolled her eyes as she went back to watching tv.
"I will just watch! I've finally figured out the perfect plan to kidnap Maki!" Honoka ran to her room insisting she had a glamours plan to redeem herself with, "Those past runs were merely tests for this bad boy!"
"Dinner will be in a little bit!" Her mother called and the household went back to its regular routine.
…
The weeks that followed involved Honoka attempting another kidnapping. Once again failing miserably as Umi's and Kotori's family caught her before she could have made a proper escape. Arriving back into town served as a surprise to the young couple, as the town had burst into celebration when they had entered townsquare. The reason for the party was to honor the two for having the highest number of failed attempts in their towns history.
"We're betting on that 50 mark!" an old man said before joining the laughter of his group. Honoka laughed and Maki was furious as more jokes were thrown their way.
"Cheer up Maki," Honoka urged the redhead, "Lets enjoy the party everyone worked hard to make!"
"You can enjoy it," Maki turned toward the main road, "I'm going home."
"Maki," Honoka grabbed her forearm, "Whats wrong?"
"Whats wrong?" Maki snorted as she ripped her arm away from the other's grasp, "What's wrong is how you're not taking this serious enough!" their argument was drowned out by the musicians playing, "This is embarrassing! Stop trying to follow a tradition you can't achieve and do us both a favor and just propose to me the foreign way!"
Violet eyes glared into hurt ocean blue, hate oozing out of her glare before realizing her mistake and stepping back. Maki opened her mouth to apologize but couldn't find it in herself to be so easily forgiven knowing the ginger's gentle nature. Afterall, Honoka would have taken her into her arms, showering her with love while forgiving her for all the terrible treatment. That was an outcome Maki didn't deserve right then, so instead Maki faced away. Practically jogging home as she left behind her injured lover.
…
During the days to follow Maki had avoided the ginger, only responding through text and call. It was during that time, Honoka could visible be seen drained of her energetic aroma that many flocked towards. Instead she grew more and more useless as she whined and dragged her aching body around like an abandoned puppy. It was than that her friends decided to give the girl a prep talk. So Honoka found herself slugging on the restaurant table while Nico and Nozomi sat across from her. Plates of comfort food were scattered around them but the ginger would only peck at the french fries in front of her.
"I'm tellin you," Nico was currently arguing with Nozomi, "Take her somewhere obvious but secluded, have a pre-made lunch, and make sure there's plumbing is the way to go."
"Is that what you did?" Honoka asked as she ate some fires to relieve any pain temporarily.
"Dou!" Nico slurred up her drink, "It takes a special kind of idiot to fail 20 times."
"Oh hush now," Nozomi defended the ginger, "It took you 5 tries before you succeeded."
"N-Nozomi," Honoka cried as the older girl open her arms.
Taking the bait, the ginger leaped over the table and into her motherly embrace and Nico gagged. Rolling her eyes, the black haired woman insisted she was different, "But seriously you shouldn't make Maki wait too long. Poor girl must be dying from all that embarrassment."
Honoka already knew that much. Afterall, the town and even Maki made it their daily mission to remind the ginger of her alternatives. Some even agreeing with the redhead about forgetting tradition and just proposing the foreign way. But Honoka couldn't, she wanted to give Maki the joys every other couple got when the bells would ring and they would be parade into town. How their families will come together to plan the wedding and the two would be separated till they were reuniting at the alter. And it wasn't just any simple alter either. The ceremony would be held inside an illuminating cave were the age of time and rain had created what many couples described an unspeakable piece of heaven. Though legends says that the cave was created by the god of darkness who had kidnapped and married the goddess of the sea against the other god's wishes. It was due to that urban tale that made the cave so special and only usable to those who had completed the kidnapping ceremony. Any other way would result in using a human build alter.
The ginger was now staring at the ceiling of her own home. What started out as a fun tradition had now become a chore. Of course Honoka loves Maki and she would kidnap the redhead 100 more time if it meant one day having her as a wife, but the pressure was becoming too strong and sadly suffocating. It had become such a negative impact on the ginger that Honoka found herself finding excuses to postpone her own plans much to Maki's displeasure. Her thoughts were in turmoil as failure after failure were being repeated in her mind, reminding herself of her faults. It wasn't until her phone interrupted her thoughts with a jazzy ringtone, did she finally snap out of it.
She picked up without reading the ID, "Hello?" her voice sounding monotone.
"Honoka?" Maki's voice resounded and the ginger sat up.
"Y-Yes," she said afraid it was another scold.
"Can we meet up?" her voice was soft, almost like a whisper.
"Yeah, where at?" Honoka subconsciously mimicked her soft tone.
There was a pause almost like the redhead was left speechless before a small click, "In the woods, you know where we often hanged out."
"Alright," Honoka nodded, "I'll be there."
The night was still fresh when she opened her window letting in the cold air. She was sensing that this meeting had to be kept a secret as a smile graced her features. It had felt like forever since Honoka saw her girlfriend, so without thinking it any further she snuck out her window. Her feet shuffled quietly through the grass until she reached the back gates to her yard where she jumped the fence, believing it would be soundless. Honoka land hard on the dirt road, a grunt escaping her involuntarily as she looked around making sure no one had seen her before quietly making her way to their spot. The town emitted a small glow that touched the forest outline in a dull yellow, hiding the stars from naked eyes. Luckily for Honoka, she was now deep inside the rows of pine trees allowing the sky to be decorated in twinkling of lights as she hiked her way to Maki. The stars were radiating and only mid-darkness encircled around her because of the half moon's glow. Wildlife could be heard surrounding her as she hiked through the terran, eventually coming to the open field. It didn't take long for Honoka to spot her lover leaning against the trunk of a tree looking towards the emptiness.
"Maki," Honoka whispered, waving to announce her arrival.
Maki wore a burgundy coat with a white scarf to battle the chilling wind. Seeing that the ginger had arrived Maki snorted as she noticed the other wearing nothing but a tank top.
"Here," Maki wrapped her scarf around the other, "Wouldn't want you getting sick now, would we?"
"It's alright," Honoka smiled as she took in the cinnamon scent from the warm object, "I know Maki will be there to heal me right up."
Maki opened her mouth slightly but couldn't find the right words to start, so she closed her lips tight and looked toward the ground. A blush decorated her cheeks but due to the lack of lightening Honoka couldn't tell.
"So why the sudden meetup?' Honoka asked not really caring for the reason as long as she was able to see Maki.
"I-I," Maki began and Honoka leaned in to hear her whispers, "I'm sorry."
"Huh?" the ginger gasped as she moved closer, unable to believe her hearing, "Come again?"
"I said I'm sorry!" Maki looked up, shocked to find the ginger only inches away, "I'm…" her violet eyes darted all over the other's face. She took in her features as if it was the first time they met, from her light cobalt eyes, to her reddening cheeks, to her jawline, cheekbones, and finally to her adorably arched eyebrows and pink lips, "I-I'm… so… sorry for… umm… everything."
"What do you mean?" and Maki screamed inwardly at the ginger's cuteness.
"I-I've been very push towards this whole kidnapping thing," Maki began now gazing into her shining orbs, "I should have never forced you to hurry and I just wanted to tell you I'm ok if you fail. I know how much tradition means to you and I don't mind waiting a whole eternity for you. I mean as long as you're with me…"
Honoka gazed down at Maki. Red hair was tilted into her vision symbolizing she was facing away but Honoka could still see her sharp amethyst eyes, her reddening skin,her small and defenseless form, and most of all her red lips trembling for her next words. The ginger could feel her heart being harpooned once more with the same spear she would identify as Maki. Her heart was screaming for her princess and Honoka found herself being reeled in closer and closer towards the fish poacher that was Maki Ninishinko.
"I love you so much!" Honoka declared before picking the redhead up and spinning her around, "I love! love! Love! Love! Love Maki more than anyone in the world!"
Gasping from the shock of being picked up, Maki held on tight as the ginger parade her to the forest. Declaring her love for her as she buried her head into Maki's neck.
"I LOVE-," Maki quickly covered her mouth as she hushed her into silence.
"I love you too," Maki kissed, "But keep your voice down."
"R-Right," Honoka quietly laughed as she placed the redhead down, "But why do we have to be silent?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Maki smiled as she wrapped her arms around the other's neck, "I'm kidnapping you."
...
Hello there! So this was suppose to be a one-shot...bbbbuuutttt... it looks like it might need a couple of more chapters to finish off. So look forward to that! Don't worry I'm practically finished with this story so go ahead and hang around till the end.
Don't be afraid to leave a review! In fact feel free to point out all my mistakes hahaha.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.