By Major Mike Powell III
Otohime Mutsumi was a beautiful, nay, gorgeous woman.
That endless braid of silky hair the color of richest chocolate, and sometimes, it even smelled like chocolate. (Which was a lovely plus to Mutsumi's "Mature Woman's Scent" as he often put it) Also, a trademark of the Okinawa native: those adorable, unique twin antennae-like locks of hair.
Her heart-shaped, gentle face that was always smiling (and what a beautiful smile that was), those warm, loving eyes of hers…he could stare into them for hours and only sink further and further into their depths, the depths of Mutsumi's kind soul…and he knew she could gaze into his own soul every time their eyes met, even with the quickest of glances.
He was easy to read, anyway. He had always been.
And then, there was that body. By every deity worshipped by anyone, that body.
For all intents and purposes, Otohime Mutsumi was a goddess, or at the very least, an angel. A gorgeous, gold-hearted, watermelon-loving, kiss-happy and ditzy angel. She was his childhood friend. And he adored her.
Plus, she was bilingual…even if Turtlese was not actually recognized as a legitimate language.
Either way, as he watched over Mutsumi happily snoozing away on the bed in her room at the Hinata All Girls Dormitory (even though the young woman herself didn't actually inhabit the room all that often, the room's lease was signed by her hand) he knew he should head back to the impromptu party to celebrate the birthday of Narusegawa Mei, the estranged sister of Narusegawa Naru, that his tenants had going outside towards the back of the property, he just could not bring himself to part from Mutsumi's side.
She looked so peaceful and serene there, with her soft, smooth cheeks lit up gently by an adorable alcohol-induced blush, her marvelous chest rising and descending with her gentle, quiet breathing and her beautiful, glimmering eyes gazing at him with tenderness and utter adoration-wait.
"Hey there, Mutsumi-san," he greeted her with a handsome, warm smile. The brunette lady dazzled him with a smile of her own.
"Hello, Kei-kun~" She cooed like a songbird. "Shouldn't you head back to the party? I'm sure the rest of the girls miss you right now."
Urashima Keitaro smiled and scratched his cheek while looking sheepish.
"Heh, um, well…I'm just fine here. Don't worry, Mutsumi-san. The girls are fine without me. I think they even prefer that I leave them alone," he reasoned, not without a tiny hint of pessimism in his gentle voice. Mutsumi's smile faltered just a bit, and Keitaro noticed.
He sighed.
"Sorry, Mutsumi-san…" he looked like a kicked puppy. The young woman smiled gently as she lifted a hand to cup her dearest friend's cheek with tenderness only Mutsumi knew Keitaro craved.
She knew him better than anyone, after all. She knew Keitaro better than any other woman in his life ever did and ever would. Mutsumi would bet her life that she knew the man of her life better than he knew himself.
Keitaro was her oldest, most beloved friend. Mutsumi adored him. And she knew he loved her in return just as much. They knew they loved each other.
They loved each other so much it hurt. Yet there was a single, tiny obstacle. An obstacle put in place 15 years prior. A promise that practically ruled Keitaro's life…and the third party involved in it.
A third party that Mutsumi herself had allowed to be involved.
Mutsumi had made a mistake. A mistake born of innocence, fueled by kindness. That mistake put her beloved through pain that no human body, mind and heart should ever have to suffer.
And now, fueled by just a tiny bit of liquid courage (plus her low alcohol tolerance) and the look in Keitaro's eyes, especially as his gaze was naturally drawn to her marvelous body, a body that she swore to let him and only him ever have; the burgundy, elegant ball dress hugged her body lovingly, accentuating her ample assets, assets that earned her the constant gaze of her beloved every single time she was in his presence…Mutsumi would make it right.
She would make amends. She would gamble and hope the dice rolled in her favor.
"Kei-kun…" she breathed, tenderly caressing her man's cheek with her fingertips, leaving warmth in their trail. His eyes immediately met hers, and she had to suppress a happy giggle. He was ogling her again. He was so cute.
"Y-Yes, Mutsumi-san? Is there something else you need? What can I do for you?" Keitaro replied, barely managing not to stumble on his own words. Determination shined in Mutsumi's eyes.
"Kei-kun…Keitaro…there's something you need to know. Something that I should have told you a long, long time ago," she began, and she knew his attention was all hers. "Kei-kun…I haven't told you the whole story. I was…economical with the truth, in a manner of speaking, and trust me, I feel horrible about that…I should have been honest with you from the very beginning…" She could not avoid the eventual feeling of guilt nor the tiny, incoming tears that rebelled against her will.
She closed her eyes to pull herself back together and continue with her revelation…and she was immensely relieved when she felt Keitaro's gentle, artist's fingers wipe away her tears.
"Well, they do say that there are three versions to every story. My side, your side…" He mused, encouraging Mutsumi with a smile. She returned that smile. "And the truth."
"Kei-kun…that day, on that sand box, building a sand castle…you made a promise to a girl. We both know that you have stayed as true to that promise as any person could ever hope to be, or even far beyond that. And that girl…the girl you have always been searching for…that girl grew up. She grew up, searching for you. She could never find you, however. But she searched for you. She really did…and just a few months ago, she found you again. You crashed into her…and her first words to you in 15 years...were her student ID numbers."
She sobbed into his chest after he knelt close to her and pulled her into his loving embrace. She cried in both agony and utter relief upon finally getting that revelation off her chest. As she let it all out, Keitaro caressed her chocolate-brown tresses as well as the exposed skin of her smooth back, all the while whispering sweet nothings in her cute ear.
After Mutsumi had shed all the tears she knew she needed to shed, she pulled back from Keitaro's hug yet was within his reach as she stared him in the eye and caressed his cheek with one hand while clutching onto one of his hands on her shoulder.
"15 years after…I still love you, Mutsumi-chan," Keitaro whispered with a closed-eye smile, yet tiny tears gathered in their corners. She gently pulled his glasses off his face.
Yes. He really was handsome without those glasses on…especially at this distance, or lack thereof. Mutsumi's already blushing cheeks got even hotter.
"And I love you too, Kei-kun…Kei-chan. I love you so much…I'm so, so sorry I was dishonest with you all this time! I'm sorry…I just…I felt, at the time, that Naru-san needed the magic of the Hinata Inn to get her health to improve. Naru-san was there with us, Kei-chan…she witnessed us sealing that promise with a kiss. She was in tears…and she said she never wanted to see me again after I beat her in that game of Rock-Paper-Scissors…where you were the prize, Kei-chan. She ran back to her parents and they just laughed it off. I knew she would draw scissors. She always, always drew scissors. I knew it…yet I won that game." Mutsumi had to force herself to stop there. The guilt still stung.
"So, the Liddo-kun doll…that was your apology token, wasn't it?" Keitaro spoke with a clear tone of sadness in his gentle voice, gently caressing Mutsumi's blushing cheek. The woman of his dreams sighed.
"Yes. That's right. Little time after that, I left, passing by Naru-san's room at the Hinata Inn on my way out, and left Liddo-kun at her doorstep. That was my farewell and apology gift. At least she accepted it, ne?" She was able to smile at the end. She knew Naru had long since forgiven her. The presence of Liddo-kun in the girl's room was all the proof she needed.
"Mu-chan…" Keitaro breathed.
Mutsumi's heart swooned and soared. There was a massive wave of nostalgia and love upon hearing that old pet name come out of her beloved's lips.
"Kei-chan!" And with that, she threw her arms around his strong shoulders, lunging forward to plant on Keitaro's lips the most passionate kiss she had ever given anyone, and that now, she would give only to him. Today and as many times as possible in the future.
15 years of craving, pent-up tension and affection and most of all, burning love were washed away in but just a few, eternal, seconds as they communicated everything the two had wanted and needed to tell each other all this time through this one kiss.
After their lip lock was broken, Mutsumi and Keitaro panted as their lungs burned in need for precious oxygen.
"Kei-chan…thank you. I love you, Kei-chan…I love you, I love you…my God, I've needed to say that for so long..." Mutsumi sighed in exhaustion and happiness as she rested her head on Keitaro's strong chest, reveling in pride upon hearing the sheer beating of his heart. That sound, that "ba dum, ba dum"…that was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard…well, other than Keitaro's happy laugh and his voice telling her he loved with all his heart while he encased her dress-clad body in his arms, resting his tilted head on top of her chocolate-brown locks.
"Kei-chan…let us stay like this for a while longer...please?" Mutsumi cooed, her voice thick with love. The man of her dreams gave her body a squeeze in his embrace, cradling her in his lap.
"As long as you want, Mu-chan. As long as you want."
Mutsumi and Keitaro's smiles shined like the late afternoon sun.
-o-o-o-
As the tenants of the Hinata Dorm finished cleaning up after their party had ended, Narusegawa Naru wiped just a bit of sweat from her brow after she was done taking the trash that remained after the bottles, cans, bags of snacks and what-have-you had all been emptied.
The young woman's face smiled with a touch of melancholy as she waved her little sister goodbye for now as the adorable redhead happily skipped back home to give their mother the good news.
"So…it was about time, huh Mitsune?" She turned to look at her fox lady of a friend. The sandy-blonde nodded with a vulpine smile that still had a gentleness to it.
"Yup. Pretty much. Turtle Lady told him everything. So…" The busty fox woman scratched her cheek at the awkward silence that ensued as Naru looked deep in thought. Then, the brunette smiled at her friend.
"She has made her amends…and I think I have to make mine. And I will…" She said, looking down at her hand, which she closed into a loose fist. Her face was filled with regret as she unclenched her hand entirely. She took her other hand cradled the one she had made a fist with.
Then, the honey-brunette turned to look sheepishly, almost shyly at her friend. "Um…s-say, Kitsune…Mitsune-chan…can I crash in your room for tonight? I don't think my presence would do either Keitaro or Mutsumi-san any good, even if they didn't even see me enter my room…and, like I said…I still have amends to make…and those two aren't the only ones." She finished by clutching her hands in front of her, fiddling with her thumbs and her face showing remorse.
Konno Mitsune chuckled and rested a hand on her lovely hip, shrugging her shoulders…yet she reached out and took Naru's hand in her own.
"C'mon, suga'h. I' got a pair of pajamas you can borrow. I don't think you're in the mood for a lingerie party…unless you wanna, that is~" The sandy-blonde purred. Naru's face lit up like a Christmas tree, her cheeks ablaze with a scandalized blush.
"M-Mou, Kitsu-chan! Don't start with that now! Sheesh, it's too soon for teasing!" She scolded her friend…but she could not fight the tiny smile of relief that followed her words as she fell into step with Kitsune, heading for the older woman's room. At long last, she was at peace, and spending the night with her friend would definitely help her let go of the past.
As for Keitaro and Mutsumi…she was happy for them, perhaps even happier than both of them were by now.
And that, perhaps, was the true magic of the Hinata Inn.
FIN
Author's Notes: Ok, so I considered to leave this here, post it just like that but I can't deny the urge to explain myself. So…yeah, this story here…uh, it's an idea that had been bugging me for a good few days now, clearly based on the events of episode…episode…hmmm…was it 22 or 23 of the anime? I'm not sure.
In any case, this is a one-shot. Meaning: No. I'm NOT going to write a next chapter or a sequel or a prequel or whatever. This tale ends here, Ok? So, please. Don't ask for anything of the sort, Ok?
As for the giant Imperial AT-AT walker in the room…yeah. I did not bash Narusegawa into next week. Unbelievable, isn't it? This is madness!
LOL
Ok, Ok. Sorry for the sarcasm. Either way, I just was not feeling sadistic or bloodthirsty enough, Ok? I guess? XD Hell, that final portion there, post-credits scene or whatever, was not even in my initial idea for this story. It just popped into my head after I finished the "feature presentation", so to speak.
So, in closing, I have no idea whatsoever if I'll step back in here in the near future, but…well, who knows? I may have an idea in storage or such for another story for these two lovebirds, Keitaro and Mutsumi. After all, they are my "Love Hina" OTP. You never forget your OTP's. :3
And also…can't deny that Mutsumi looks absolutely magnificent in that Molmol wedding dress that she and the whole rest of the Hinata Girls wore in the episode where Kaolla's big brother shows up at the dorm. We all know Keitaro was nothing short of drooling while Mutsumi held his hands while wearing that beautiful outfit, don't we?
Ok, that's all, for real this time. LOL
Semper-Fi! Carry on!