Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.
~Writer's Note: Yes, another stupid note from me. I thought I'd write a reincarnation story. And amazingly enough, Nuriko is a man in it! In case you totally missed the summary, this is from Mitsukake's pov. He's my favorite Suzaku seishi and deserves a good story. ~
***
Love Resurrected, Destiny Unfulfilled
Chapter One: Suzaku Blew Up My Car
by: omni82
***
I'd seen a lot of strange things in my life – as a doctor I often came across the unusual or grotesque – but nothing ever compared to the sight that lie before me.
From the driver's seat of my '96 Oldsmobile station wagon, I was a rock set in a rushing stream of chaos. I normally don't think so fancifully but the scene before me gave ample inspiration. From up to two blocks ahead of me, people were leaving their cars, office buildings, and the sidewalks and running. Some were screaming, some were crying but all were terrified. The ground shook and I heard an explosion that was closely followed by a tremendous ball of fire. Okay – maybe those people were on to something.
I quickly exited the car only to reach back into the rear seats. My five-month-old son, Chiriko, smiled toothlessly at me. My large hands fumbled in my fear as I prayed to any god that would help me get my son and self out of this alive. The fastenings would not come undone so I tore at them. They ripped apart with a resounding tear and my son was free. Gathering him up in my arms, I prepared to run after the others. A brief look over my shoulder convinced me of the futility of it.
Even as I turned my head to stare, a wall of flame was engulfing the cars right in front of me. The heat was incredible. It was coming at me swiftly, too fast for any normal man to run from. In this moment, I knew death and was utterly and completely petrified. None of my muscles would work save the ones that had my body twisting to shield my son from the ghastly fate that awaited us. If my body could protect him from fire and save him, then I'd consider my life a success.
Just as my shirt began to smolder, I saw a man running toward us at a great speed. In his hand was a large fan like the kind school kids make out of notepaper only this one was made entirely of metal. He leapt nimbly atop a Toyota Four Runner, his ginger hair blazing as fiercely as the inferno. He bellowed something that sounded vaguely Chinese and then something absolutely impossible happened.
His fan, the metal fan that he was waving in his right hand, spewed forth a great gout of fire that crashed into the incoming flames. Then the world exploded around me. The heat burned was so intense it as if experiencing the depths of Hell. I shielded my son with my body as my hair and clothing caught fire. Where my jacket burned, my skin felt icy cold. I didn't move, didn't breathe as the two fires quite simply put each other out.
My ears were still ringing as I became aware of someone putting me out. I blinked and coughed as someone beat their shirt across my shoulders and pounded on my back. It hurt like nothing else and I blacked out for a moment.
I came to with my face smushed against the shoulder of a beautiful woman. Her large, rose-colored eyes peered at me in concern as her soft, violet hair tickled my face. Chiriko gave a mewling cry from under my coat and I pulled away from the woman to examine my son.
The woman gave a soft cry of disbelief as Chiriko appeared. I ignored her to check him for burn marks or bruises. Amazingly enough, he was fine for the ordeal. He gave me the soft sunny smile reserved only for his daddy and a bubbly laugh. I couldn't believe it. We should both be dead, incinerated in the onslaught of primal wildfire yet we were not even seriously injured.
I guiltily looked up at my rescuer and croaked out a belated thank you. She smiled at me, the mole under her left eye crinkling up. Someone out of my sight handed her a bottle of water, which she passed to me. I drank gratefully and thanked her again.
"Don't thank me," she said in a dulcet tone, "thank Hotohori. He put you out and brought the water." She gestured to a man standing next to her. I gazed up at him-
And into a very familiar pair of amber eyes. The less I thought about it, the more the woman looked familiar as well. The couple were as if a dream were standing before me. I could not say where or when I had met them but I knew I had.
"Can I hold your son?" The woman asked brightly as she and Hotohori gently helped me to my feet. She wiggled a pair of fingers at Chiriko who tried his best to catch them. I hesitated. My son didn't like strangers, given to fits of crying and screaming when even his grandmothers held him.
"It's okay," she said. "We already know each other. Don't we Chiriko?" She slid my son out of my unresisting arms as I tried to understand what she had meant. How could she have known my son? He barely went anywhere, save to the clinic with his mother and I.
"Oh, do you know him from the clinic?" I asked with relief from having solved that mystery. "Are you a friend of Shoka's?"
Hotohori and the woman exchanged an indecipherable look between them. It was as if they were agreeing not to fill me in on some important secret.
"That's it exactly," the woman agreed. "My name is Nuriko," she said. "How is Shoka?" This last question was put to me as if it were gravely serious. It apparently of a great concern to her and to the slightly tense Hotohori whether or not my wife was well. It was both flattering and disturbing.
"Shoka is fine. The baby kept her up most of the night while I was on an emergency call. I took Chiriko out so she could get a little rest. She's probably worried sick now." Hmm…near death experiences make me chatty.
Nuriko and Hotohori sighed in simultaneous relief. It made me wonder if they knew something I didn't. I was about to ask about it when another person joined us. It was the man with the fan. He was a little sooty like the rest of us and he wore a cocky smile.
"Guess I took care of that demon," He told Nuriko and Hotohori smugly. He rested the fan against his shoulder in casual gesture of comfort. Evidently the massive destruction was something he was at ease with.
When he finally looked at me, his scarlet eyes widened with shock. "Mitsukake!" He gasped. That wasn't my name but he seemed positive that it was. Nuriko and Hotohori were distinctly uneasy by him naming me that. Something suspicious was going on here.
Nuriko stomped on his foot, causing him to jump around clutching the injured extremity. "Doctor," she said sweetly, "this is my friend Tasuki. I told him about you after a visit to the clinic. He's very impressed with your work. Aren't you Tasuki-chan?"
"Uh, yeah," Tasuki stuttered. He looked sheepish and scratched the back of his head. "I admired the people who know how to patch up guys like me who get in too many fights." He seemed really embarrassed or uncomfortable in my presence. In a fidgety movement, he patted the hood of my car. "I, uh, saved your car," he offered. Maybe he had a low I.Q. That would explain a few things.
"Well, that's very kind," I said slowly. I had dealt with a few mentally impaired people before. All you had to do was to be patient and to speak kindly to them and you could establish a mutually satisfying friendship.
"Thank you very much, Tasuki." I told him gently. I returned my attention to Nuriko who was biting back laughter and Hotohori who looked amused.
"I can't thank you enough. Where are you staying? I'll drive you since I still have a car." I nodded considerately to Tasuki who turned red and started to mutter to himself.
"Unfortunately, we were staying at that hotel," Hotohori replied, motioning to a smoking building. Police and firemen were beginning to crowd in and the noise was making Chiriko fussy. If we were going to leave, it must be now.
"You must stay at my house," I declared. "It isn't large but you are very welcome to what extra space we have." I thought of the scolding Shoka was going to give me over bringing unannounced guests into her home but dismissed it. I owed these people my life as well as the life of my son.
"Thank you very much. We humbly accept your kind offer." Hotohori bowed once to me and began issuing instructions.
"Tasuki and Nuriko, in the backseat. Nuriko, hold on to young Chiriko. The car seat is certainly not child friendly. Mitsukake, I recommend we depart before more people come." Hotohori slid into the passenger seat and my sense of recognition increased. His regal air and commanding authority reminded me of someone but I couldn't remember whom.
Deciding to think about it later, I got in and headed toward home. I suspected that I would have a lot of explaining to do.
I live in a condominium near the poorer section of town where Shoka and I work. After we married, we set up a small clinic that catered to those who could not afford hospital care. Like the doctors of the olden times, we accepted whatever the patient could afford to pay. On the side, I built furniture that I'd sell to businesses. It provided enough added income that my small family could live comfortably and on occasions do something special. Shoka, Chiriko, our cat Tama-neko (named after the husband of our receptionist), and I lived simply. We were content.
Our apartment was on the third floor but I was barely out of the car when Shoka flew into my arms. "Juan! Oh Juan, God, I was so worried. Are you hurt? Where's Chiriko? What happened?" Nuriko got out of the car and handed the baby to my frenzied wife. Her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears as she caressed her firstborn's face. In this moment, I knew with a certainty that filled every part of my being, that I loved this woman more than anything in this universe. I pulled her into my slightly crispy arms and kissed her deeply. I didn't care about my audience or the impropriety. I was just so grateful to be alive at this moment with my wife.
"Oi, he's really loosened up," Tasuki whispered to his friends. Nuriko swatted at him, caught up in the romance of the moment.
Shoka was dreamy-eyed when I let her go. The smile on her face satisfied my masculine pride. The baby's whimpers jolted her back to reality where she blushed, patted her hair, and then sighed. "Who are your friends?" She asked, manners once more remembered.
"Nuriko, Hotohori, Tasuki, I would be honored to present my wife, Myou Shoka. Shoka, these people saved my life. Their belongings were destroyed along with the hotel they were staying at."
"Then you must stay here," Shoka told them. She didn't let me tell her that I had invited them. "Please come with me. I'm sure you must want baths and a rest after such an ordeal." She gave me back Chiriko who was beginning to squall and smell. My charming wife led them up to our home as I was left to follow behind.
As she distributed towels and began to make up the guest room, I changed and bathed Chiriko. His green eyes were serious as he listened to me talk. Strange as it may sound, whenever I talk to my son, I think he understands me. Today, he was even more alert as I worked out my problem to his listening ear.
"I swore I saw Tasuki make fire from that fan, Chiriko. I'm willing to discount that as a trick of the eyes due to the heat waves. But what about Tasuki recognizing me? Or the fact that Shoka didn't recognize Nuriko who claimed to know her? Hotohori and Nuriko were hiding something from me but what was it? They seem so familiar, as if I know them but we just met. And who is Mitsukake? Am I supposed to be him? We have a conundrum on our hands here, my good son." He smiled in delight at that while I put a white hat on his small head. In my hands, he was so small and fragile. This life I had made with love with Shoka was infinitely precious to me. The mysterious trio was responsible for saving his life so for now I would trust them and offer them my hospitality. But I was not going to forget the secret that they concealed.
The walls were thin and I could hear Shoka humming to herself in the kitchen. Cradling Chiriko in the crook of my arm, I meandered over to the counter where she was chopping vegetables. I popped a slice of sweet potato in my mouth and deposited the drowsy Chiriko in his carrier. He nodded off without any further encouragement.
Shoka stopped slicing vegetables and came to my side. "You smell smoky," she murmured. "Go wash up. Do you need me to look at any burns?" She was the best doctor I knew and the sexiest. I nodded my assent, unable to keep the wicked gleam out of my eye.
"I have something that needs tending to, Doctor." I rumbled. I did my best to look innocent but she whacked me with a dishtowel anyway.
"We have guests," she protested.
"Why Shoka, what did you think I meant?" I inquired, the picture of innocence. I scooted out of the kitchen before she could hit me again.
The shower was free so I washed the soot and dirt off quickly. A few minor burns and abrasions marred my arms. I twisted in front of the mirror in order to determine the extent of the damage on my back.
Suddenly, the door opened and I made a desperate lunge for my towel. It was a bit late but I firmly tied the yellow terrycloth around my waist. Nuriko stood in the doorway gaping. I stared back at her. My surprise was greater than hers because 'she' wasn't a she but a 'he.' Nuriko was a man.
He wore one of my old bathrobes that was too small around the shoulders for me. It parted open in the front, displaying a flat, very masculine chest. I had reason to stare. The woman I thought was a woman was a man! But why was he staring? Nuriko's eyes remained stuck on my chest as he started backing out of the doorway.
"Excuse me," He stuttered as the door closed. The strange encounter encouraged me to dress quickly and tend to my injuries in the privacy of my bedroom where no one would walk in.
Shoka went out of her way with dinner. She prepared my favorite fish dish along with a variety of vegetables and rice. Our best tea was served in the finest china. It was too bad we didn't have a full set of it. Chiriko was placed between the two of us where he slept the entire meal. He would probably stay up all night.
"So," my wife said, "Do you know what started the fire?" The three guests looked at each other before Nuriko spoke up.
"I think it was an exploding gas line." He offered.
"Yeah, a devil of one." Tasuki chimed in. Hotohori frowned at him but the spunky guy remained unaffected. Their explanation was plausible and since I didn't really know what set the fire, I just shrugged.
"Well, you are all very lucky to have escaped alive," Shoka said firmly. "I'm grateful for your heroism. I don't know what I'd do if Juan died." She looked sad. I pressed my hand atop hers and gazed into her eyes. We communicated then, a look conveying such raw emotion. What we felt for each other was always so intense as if we were making up for lost time.
A fuzzy head popped up under my arm. Tama-neko gave a small meow to our guests before sauntering away with the piece of fish I gave him. Shoka frowned at me but I just smiled. I spoil that cat rotten.
"Why am I not surprised?" Hotohori murmured. He scratched Tama-neko's head as the cat moseyed on by. I looked at him. "You seem like a cat person," he explained.
"Yes, Tama-neko came with Juan when I married him." Shoka joked. "The poor cat didn't have a name until our receptionist picked one. She named him after her husband."
The three looked stunned. Tasuki gaped like a beached whale.
"What is her name?" Nuriko asked in a strangled voice. I poured him some more tea.
"Our receptionist?" Shoka asked with her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Sukanami Miaka. Her husband, Taka, teaches at Yotsubadai High School and Miaka works for us. She's a lovely girl but how she got the name Tama from Taka is a mystery to me."
"Miaka?" Hotohori choked. He looked at Nuriko then to Tasuki and then to me before uttering the phrase that changed my life forever.
"Priestess of Suzaku."
TBC…
~Writer's Note: Yes, another stupid note from me. I thought I'd write a reincarnation story. And amazingly enough, Nuriko is a man in it! In case you totally missed the summary, this is from Mitsukake's pov. He's my favorite Suzaku seishi and deserves a good story. ~
***
Love Resurrected, Destiny Unfulfilled
Chapter One: Suzaku Blew Up My Car
by: omni82
***
I'd seen a lot of strange things in my life – as a doctor I often came across the unusual or grotesque – but nothing ever compared to the sight that lie before me.
From the driver's seat of my '96 Oldsmobile station wagon, I was a rock set in a rushing stream of chaos. I normally don't think so fancifully but the scene before me gave ample inspiration. From up to two blocks ahead of me, people were leaving their cars, office buildings, and the sidewalks and running. Some were screaming, some were crying but all were terrified. The ground shook and I heard an explosion that was closely followed by a tremendous ball of fire. Okay – maybe those people were on to something.
I quickly exited the car only to reach back into the rear seats. My five-month-old son, Chiriko, smiled toothlessly at me. My large hands fumbled in my fear as I prayed to any god that would help me get my son and self out of this alive. The fastenings would not come undone so I tore at them. They ripped apart with a resounding tear and my son was free. Gathering him up in my arms, I prepared to run after the others. A brief look over my shoulder convinced me of the futility of it.
Even as I turned my head to stare, a wall of flame was engulfing the cars right in front of me. The heat was incredible. It was coming at me swiftly, too fast for any normal man to run from. In this moment, I knew death and was utterly and completely petrified. None of my muscles would work save the ones that had my body twisting to shield my son from the ghastly fate that awaited us. If my body could protect him from fire and save him, then I'd consider my life a success.
Just as my shirt began to smolder, I saw a man running toward us at a great speed. In his hand was a large fan like the kind school kids make out of notepaper only this one was made entirely of metal. He leapt nimbly atop a Toyota Four Runner, his ginger hair blazing as fiercely as the inferno. He bellowed something that sounded vaguely Chinese and then something absolutely impossible happened.
His fan, the metal fan that he was waving in his right hand, spewed forth a great gout of fire that crashed into the incoming flames. Then the world exploded around me. The heat burned was so intense it as if experiencing the depths of Hell. I shielded my son with my body as my hair and clothing caught fire. Where my jacket burned, my skin felt icy cold. I didn't move, didn't breathe as the two fires quite simply put each other out.
My ears were still ringing as I became aware of someone putting me out. I blinked and coughed as someone beat their shirt across my shoulders and pounded on my back. It hurt like nothing else and I blacked out for a moment.
I came to with my face smushed against the shoulder of a beautiful woman. Her large, rose-colored eyes peered at me in concern as her soft, violet hair tickled my face. Chiriko gave a mewling cry from under my coat and I pulled away from the woman to examine my son.
The woman gave a soft cry of disbelief as Chiriko appeared. I ignored her to check him for burn marks or bruises. Amazingly enough, he was fine for the ordeal. He gave me the soft sunny smile reserved only for his daddy and a bubbly laugh. I couldn't believe it. We should both be dead, incinerated in the onslaught of primal wildfire yet we were not even seriously injured.
I guiltily looked up at my rescuer and croaked out a belated thank you. She smiled at me, the mole under her left eye crinkling up. Someone out of my sight handed her a bottle of water, which she passed to me. I drank gratefully and thanked her again.
"Don't thank me," she said in a dulcet tone, "thank Hotohori. He put you out and brought the water." She gestured to a man standing next to her. I gazed up at him-
And into a very familiar pair of amber eyes. The less I thought about it, the more the woman looked familiar as well. The couple were as if a dream were standing before me. I could not say where or when I had met them but I knew I had.
"Can I hold your son?" The woman asked brightly as she and Hotohori gently helped me to my feet. She wiggled a pair of fingers at Chiriko who tried his best to catch them. I hesitated. My son didn't like strangers, given to fits of crying and screaming when even his grandmothers held him.
"It's okay," she said. "We already know each other. Don't we Chiriko?" She slid my son out of my unresisting arms as I tried to understand what she had meant. How could she have known my son? He barely went anywhere, save to the clinic with his mother and I.
"Oh, do you know him from the clinic?" I asked with relief from having solved that mystery. "Are you a friend of Shoka's?"
Hotohori and the woman exchanged an indecipherable look between them. It was as if they were agreeing not to fill me in on some important secret.
"That's it exactly," the woman agreed. "My name is Nuriko," she said. "How is Shoka?" This last question was put to me as if it were gravely serious. It apparently of a great concern to her and to the slightly tense Hotohori whether or not my wife was well. It was both flattering and disturbing.
"Shoka is fine. The baby kept her up most of the night while I was on an emergency call. I took Chiriko out so she could get a little rest. She's probably worried sick now." Hmm…near death experiences make me chatty.
Nuriko and Hotohori sighed in simultaneous relief. It made me wonder if they knew something I didn't. I was about to ask about it when another person joined us. It was the man with the fan. He was a little sooty like the rest of us and he wore a cocky smile.
"Guess I took care of that demon," He told Nuriko and Hotohori smugly. He rested the fan against his shoulder in casual gesture of comfort. Evidently the massive destruction was something he was at ease with.
When he finally looked at me, his scarlet eyes widened with shock. "Mitsukake!" He gasped. That wasn't my name but he seemed positive that it was. Nuriko and Hotohori were distinctly uneasy by him naming me that. Something suspicious was going on here.
Nuriko stomped on his foot, causing him to jump around clutching the injured extremity. "Doctor," she said sweetly, "this is my friend Tasuki. I told him about you after a visit to the clinic. He's very impressed with your work. Aren't you Tasuki-chan?"
"Uh, yeah," Tasuki stuttered. He looked sheepish and scratched the back of his head. "I admired the people who know how to patch up guys like me who get in too many fights." He seemed really embarrassed or uncomfortable in my presence. In a fidgety movement, he patted the hood of my car. "I, uh, saved your car," he offered. Maybe he had a low I.Q. That would explain a few things.
"Well, that's very kind," I said slowly. I had dealt with a few mentally impaired people before. All you had to do was to be patient and to speak kindly to them and you could establish a mutually satisfying friendship.
"Thank you very much, Tasuki." I told him gently. I returned my attention to Nuriko who was biting back laughter and Hotohori who looked amused.
"I can't thank you enough. Where are you staying? I'll drive you since I still have a car." I nodded considerately to Tasuki who turned red and started to mutter to himself.
"Unfortunately, we were staying at that hotel," Hotohori replied, motioning to a smoking building. Police and firemen were beginning to crowd in and the noise was making Chiriko fussy. If we were going to leave, it must be now.
"You must stay at my house," I declared. "It isn't large but you are very welcome to what extra space we have." I thought of the scolding Shoka was going to give me over bringing unannounced guests into her home but dismissed it. I owed these people my life as well as the life of my son.
"Thank you very much. We humbly accept your kind offer." Hotohori bowed once to me and began issuing instructions.
"Tasuki and Nuriko, in the backseat. Nuriko, hold on to young Chiriko. The car seat is certainly not child friendly. Mitsukake, I recommend we depart before more people come." Hotohori slid into the passenger seat and my sense of recognition increased. His regal air and commanding authority reminded me of someone but I couldn't remember whom.
Deciding to think about it later, I got in and headed toward home. I suspected that I would have a lot of explaining to do.
I live in a condominium near the poorer section of town where Shoka and I work. After we married, we set up a small clinic that catered to those who could not afford hospital care. Like the doctors of the olden times, we accepted whatever the patient could afford to pay. On the side, I built furniture that I'd sell to businesses. It provided enough added income that my small family could live comfortably and on occasions do something special. Shoka, Chiriko, our cat Tama-neko (named after the husband of our receptionist), and I lived simply. We were content.
Our apartment was on the third floor but I was barely out of the car when Shoka flew into my arms. "Juan! Oh Juan, God, I was so worried. Are you hurt? Where's Chiriko? What happened?" Nuriko got out of the car and handed the baby to my frenzied wife. Her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears as she caressed her firstborn's face. In this moment, I knew with a certainty that filled every part of my being, that I loved this woman more than anything in this universe. I pulled her into my slightly crispy arms and kissed her deeply. I didn't care about my audience or the impropriety. I was just so grateful to be alive at this moment with my wife.
"Oi, he's really loosened up," Tasuki whispered to his friends. Nuriko swatted at him, caught up in the romance of the moment.
Shoka was dreamy-eyed when I let her go. The smile on her face satisfied my masculine pride. The baby's whimpers jolted her back to reality where she blushed, patted her hair, and then sighed. "Who are your friends?" She asked, manners once more remembered.
"Nuriko, Hotohori, Tasuki, I would be honored to present my wife, Myou Shoka. Shoka, these people saved my life. Their belongings were destroyed along with the hotel they were staying at."
"Then you must stay here," Shoka told them. She didn't let me tell her that I had invited them. "Please come with me. I'm sure you must want baths and a rest after such an ordeal." She gave me back Chiriko who was beginning to squall and smell. My charming wife led them up to our home as I was left to follow behind.
As she distributed towels and began to make up the guest room, I changed and bathed Chiriko. His green eyes were serious as he listened to me talk. Strange as it may sound, whenever I talk to my son, I think he understands me. Today, he was even more alert as I worked out my problem to his listening ear.
"I swore I saw Tasuki make fire from that fan, Chiriko. I'm willing to discount that as a trick of the eyes due to the heat waves. But what about Tasuki recognizing me? Or the fact that Shoka didn't recognize Nuriko who claimed to know her? Hotohori and Nuriko were hiding something from me but what was it? They seem so familiar, as if I know them but we just met. And who is Mitsukake? Am I supposed to be him? We have a conundrum on our hands here, my good son." He smiled in delight at that while I put a white hat on his small head. In my hands, he was so small and fragile. This life I had made with love with Shoka was infinitely precious to me. The mysterious trio was responsible for saving his life so for now I would trust them and offer them my hospitality. But I was not going to forget the secret that they concealed.
The walls were thin and I could hear Shoka humming to herself in the kitchen. Cradling Chiriko in the crook of my arm, I meandered over to the counter where she was chopping vegetables. I popped a slice of sweet potato in my mouth and deposited the drowsy Chiriko in his carrier. He nodded off without any further encouragement.
Shoka stopped slicing vegetables and came to my side. "You smell smoky," she murmured. "Go wash up. Do you need me to look at any burns?" She was the best doctor I knew and the sexiest. I nodded my assent, unable to keep the wicked gleam out of my eye.
"I have something that needs tending to, Doctor." I rumbled. I did my best to look innocent but she whacked me with a dishtowel anyway.
"We have guests," she protested.
"Why Shoka, what did you think I meant?" I inquired, the picture of innocence. I scooted out of the kitchen before she could hit me again.
The shower was free so I washed the soot and dirt off quickly. A few minor burns and abrasions marred my arms. I twisted in front of the mirror in order to determine the extent of the damage on my back.
Suddenly, the door opened and I made a desperate lunge for my towel. It was a bit late but I firmly tied the yellow terrycloth around my waist. Nuriko stood in the doorway gaping. I stared back at her. My surprise was greater than hers because 'she' wasn't a she but a 'he.' Nuriko was a man.
He wore one of my old bathrobes that was too small around the shoulders for me. It parted open in the front, displaying a flat, very masculine chest. I had reason to stare. The woman I thought was a woman was a man! But why was he staring? Nuriko's eyes remained stuck on my chest as he started backing out of the doorway.
"Excuse me," He stuttered as the door closed. The strange encounter encouraged me to dress quickly and tend to my injuries in the privacy of my bedroom where no one would walk in.
Shoka went out of her way with dinner. She prepared my favorite fish dish along with a variety of vegetables and rice. Our best tea was served in the finest china. It was too bad we didn't have a full set of it. Chiriko was placed between the two of us where he slept the entire meal. He would probably stay up all night.
"So," my wife said, "Do you know what started the fire?" The three guests looked at each other before Nuriko spoke up.
"I think it was an exploding gas line." He offered.
"Yeah, a devil of one." Tasuki chimed in. Hotohori frowned at him but the spunky guy remained unaffected. Their explanation was plausible and since I didn't really know what set the fire, I just shrugged.
"Well, you are all very lucky to have escaped alive," Shoka said firmly. "I'm grateful for your heroism. I don't know what I'd do if Juan died." She looked sad. I pressed my hand atop hers and gazed into her eyes. We communicated then, a look conveying such raw emotion. What we felt for each other was always so intense as if we were making up for lost time.
A fuzzy head popped up under my arm. Tama-neko gave a small meow to our guests before sauntering away with the piece of fish I gave him. Shoka frowned at me but I just smiled. I spoil that cat rotten.
"Why am I not surprised?" Hotohori murmured. He scratched Tama-neko's head as the cat moseyed on by. I looked at him. "You seem like a cat person," he explained.
"Yes, Tama-neko came with Juan when I married him." Shoka joked. "The poor cat didn't have a name until our receptionist picked one. She named him after her husband."
The three looked stunned. Tasuki gaped like a beached whale.
"What is her name?" Nuriko asked in a strangled voice. I poured him some more tea.
"Our receptionist?" Shoka asked with her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Sukanami Miaka. Her husband, Taka, teaches at Yotsubadai High School and Miaka works for us. She's a lovely girl but how she got the name Tama from Taka is a mystery to me."
"Miaka?" Hotohori choked. He looked at Nuriko then to Tasuki and then to me before uttering the phrase that changed my life forever.
"Priestess of Suzaku."
TBC…