Oranges are Sweet
A No.6 Fanfiction
by Tomoyo-chan
Disclaimer: I do not own No. 6.
I'd noticed that there are a lot of stories that involve Nezumi leaving, sometimes for months or even years, and then coming back and staying with Shion. As much as I love them, I'm not sure Nezumi is that kind of person. This here is really what I envisioned Taste of Oranges to be more like.
Some mornings, Nezumi would slip out of bed just as the sun was rising. After tucking Shion back safely in the covers, he would steal out the door. Hours later, when Shion woke at a more decent time, he would never worry. After all, Nezumi always kept his promises, including the one to come back.
At times, the only contact for weeks he had with Nezumi was little notes passed back and forth with the mice. But he knew, with each any every scrap of paper, that Nezumi was thinking of him, just as he was thinking of Nezumi. After all, why else were the notes always returned so soon?
Shion found two things in life that he adored with a passion. The first was summer storms, and the second was watching Nezumi up on stage, becoming a million different people as Eve. And knowing, as he watched every one, that they would come home and become the person only he would get to see. Nezumi, with all his bitchy snarkiness and endless drama, was Shion's and Shion's alone.
Karan was a patient woman, but after three years (or was it seven - she never did figure out if it was Nezumi who had met her son that day they were removed from Chronos) she felt it was about time she met Nezumi. She wanted to finally thank, face to face, the man who had saved her boy's life. But it seemed she could never pin the boy down. He was always 'visiting other cities' or 'being himself'. She could tell there were nights when Nezumi had returned, if just for a little bit, seeing her son walking around sighing and perhaps wobbling a bit when he walked.
So finally, one evening after being denied again ('Nezumi isn't really looking for visitors, besides he's only staying one night') she marched over to Shion's new home in Forest Center and barged in without announcing herself. What she saw made her wish she had the forethought to not waltz into another's home. Her son flailed to the floor from his position on Nezumi's lap.
"M-Mother-! What-?" As he frantically tried to calm his blush and perhaps preserve some of his dignity, Karan whirled around to face the doorway. Seeing her son, half naked, in an intense moment, arching into his lover on the couch was something she would never be able to remove from her mind.
"I-I thought - I would come over to meet Nezumi, since he has yet to make an appearance at my bake shop, but- I..." her voice trailed off in a strange whine as her mind whirled.
"You can turn around again." Shion's voice declared abashedly a few moments later. He had found his shirt from wherever it had been, though he still avoided her gaze. Nezumi... Nezumi had apparently taken a quick exit out the window if the new breeze was anything to go by.
Karan found her pique return at his departure. "Oh, that boy! I come over to visit and he does everything to avoid me. Shion, next time he comes over, he's not to kiss you until he's come to see me." And with that, she promptly turned out the door and returned home to try and not think about what else he might have done with her son had she not interrupted.
He tasted of oranges. Something citrus at least. Sweet, but with an underlying tang that hinted at the bite in Nezumi's personality. Shion wondered what he tasted like, but when he asked, Nezumi only looked at him and replied "You taste like you."
Shion estimated that Nezumi spent 20% of his time within No. 6, or what was left of it. Of that 5% of the 20 was spent arguing, 4% sleeping, 6% reading, and the remaining 5% was spent becoming very very satisfied with his naive lover.
"One day, you're going to end up with a broken heart."
"Huh?" Shion looked up from the fruit stand before him to the dark skinned girl beside him.
"You wait forever, and one day you're going to realize he's not coming back."
Shion only smiled at her words.
"He's always come back."
Shion loved going over to Inukashi's place after a long day. It was nostalgic to wander through the remaining streets of West Block. He could almost imaging turning one of the corners and Nezumi would be there. Of course, he also loved going to see little Koinu. The boy was nearly three now, and despite having Inukashi as a parent, he was getting along fine.
If howling like a dog at the moon whenever he had to take a bath was considered fine.
Some nights, Nezumi would slip in through the window just as Shion fell into that area between sleeping and waking. Shion would smile dreamily as his eyes slid shut to the vision of Nezumi's sweeter than spice smile.
According to google translate, koinu is the word for puppy. I figured if you gave a baby to Inukashi to raise, that would be the name the baby ends up with. Hoped you liked it.
~Tomoyo-chan