Disclaimer: Hiro, Kiara, Juybay, and Velika are my characters. All rights go to me, and my friend Charsya.
A QUIET EMBRACE
Kiara sighed, re reading the same passage for the 5th time. The house was peaceful, but the quiet was somehow distracting. Lonely, rather than restful. She sighed again. Small wonder she felt lonely, when she had the place to herself. Velika was visiting Juybay at his house, and Hiro-chan had gone fishing at near by river. Despondent, she allowed herself to slump forward over the table, bringing her head down to rest on the open pages. From her new position she stared out the open doors at the slowly passing clouds, letting the silence wash over her.
" Kuso yo! " Exasperated with herself, Kiara gathered up her book and stepped outside. The weather was perfect for out door reading. Maybe Hiro-chan wouldn't mind a little company...
Hiro yawned. The stillness by the river was a pleasant change from the cheerful and sometimes overwhelming noise common at the house, but after serval hours the calm had worn to boredom, the peace to a dulling lassitude. Without Mitzy and Tyler's cheerful company to occupy him while he waiting for to the fish to bite, he found himself continually fighting sleep. He stretched lazily and then returned to his previous position, slouched comfortably between the sheltering roots of a tree. He had begun to doze off again, lulled by the quiet and the warmth of the spring sun, when he heard Kiara's voice.
"Um . . . Hiro?"
He opened his eyes in surprise. "Kiara? What is it? Something wrong?"
"Uh uh." She shook her head, smiling hesitantly. "I was just be bored myself." She held up her book. "I thought I'd read outside. Ya mind if I join you?"
"Oy?" He blinked at her for a moment Before his sleepy mind registered what she'd asked him. Then he readily agreed, shifting to his left to make room for her beside him. He smiled as she settled herself against him, nestling in the angle of his shoulder and the tree.
"Nani?" She asked, catching his smile as she opened her book..
Hiro merely shook his head and turned his attention back to his fishing "I'm just glad to see you," he murmured.
Kiara's face lit with pleasure. "Oh..." she softly responded, momentarily resting her head against his shoulder. Always, she thought, I'm always glad to see you. Raising her head she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and then, content with the small smile still playing across his lips, began reading.
They spent the afternoon in companionable silence; the only sounds the soft splish of Hiro's fishing line and the rustle of turning pages. The fishing pole was put aside after awhile, and Hiro simply sat beside her while she read. Eyes partially closed he watched her, enjoying the play of emotions across her expressive face. Unwittingly he smiled when her nose crinkled in disapproval at something she read, and again when she paused to blow her hair our of her face. Utterly relaxed and content in her company, he slid into a comfortable half sleeping- half waking state.
As the afternoon progressed the wind picked up, turning the shade beneath the tree chilly. In response, Kiara snuggled herself closer against Hiro, glancing at him to see if he objected. He didn't seen to, lounging against the tree with his eyes closed. He merely shifted a little, changing positions so she could lean against him more comfortably; his right arm slipping around her as she settled against him. Neither spoke, but as she cuddled against him Kiara sighed in contentment. She let the book fall closed in her lap as she tangled the fingers of her left hand with those of his right. A moment later she felt him dip his head to rest against hers, and closed her eyes to bask in the safety and warmth of his arms, his presence.
Hiro was only slightly surprised when Kiara snuggled against him, as he'd felt her shiver beside hin in the cool spring breeze. He'd half persuaded himself to reach out to her when she'd moved closer to him on her own. Now, as she tangled her fingers with his, he wondered again at how well their feelings could mesh. This slight girl, with her soft heart and spine as strong as the metal of his Katana blade, had restored something infinitely precious in his life. She was home to him; her trust and unspoken love wrapping protectively around him whenever he was with her. His sigh echoed hers as he bent his head and pressed his cheek to the sweetly scented silk of her hair. On impulse, he gently released the curly dark brown strands from her royal blue hair ribbon she'd used to tie them back. His woman. Even Isaka, near death as he was, had recognized it. His past kept him from stating it as plainly as Isaka had, but he never denied it to himself, never protested it when someone else acknowledged it. She was his. His to protect, to comfort, to love. And he was hers. Perhaps there was no longer a reason to hide how important she was to him. He shrugged mentally as he admitted he hadn't really fooled anyone. Instead, his repeated withdrawals had hurt her, the one person he most wanted to protect.
Kiara felt the slight pull, heard the faint rasp as he slid the ribbon free, and opened her eyes in surprise. "Hiro . . ." Turning her head, peering up at him through the auburn curtain falling over her shoulder and across his chest, she found his chestnut eyes gazing softly at her.
"Koshii . . ." he whispered, his voice a caress. Letting the ribbon slide free from his fingers, he stroked a few strands away from her face, revealing the faint blush on her cheeks. Kiara's eyes widened slightly as realization sparked, and her small white teeth bit anxiously into her full bottom lip to stop its slight, nervous trembling.
He's going to kiss me. Kiara thought. His hand cradled her face, his thumb brushing back and forth over her cheek. God! Please let him kiss me. She bit her lip anxiously as she waited, and as his stoking thumb shifted to flow over the small hurt, she closed her closed her eyes. Oh please don't let him this time. A moment later his mouth - caressing, coaxing, faintly possessive - hers. Hiro . . .
Always before he'd withdrawn at the last moment, pretending to ignore or be unaware of feelings which infinitely obvious. As he kissed her now, the pretense was revealed in all its staggering depth. His touch was tempered with the gentleness he habitually displayed toward her, but also held a wealth of hidden emotion: Fire and longing, passion and demand. And all of it encompassed by an incredible sweetness. She protested softly when he released her moments later, disentangling her finger from his only to clench them instead in the loose fabric of his shirt to call him back. Teasing her fingers free he threaded them again with his own as his lips slid over her cheek, touched lightly on her eyes, and then finally brushed the tip of her nose. His arm tightened around her, holding her close against him as she turned her face into face into his chest.
"Hiro?" Her voice was soft and hesitant.
"Mmmm?" She felt a small glimmer of annoyance at the relaxed timbre of his. She frowned at their twined fingers; worried he would pull away, but uncertain what to say to stop him. She was unaware he was watching her, or that he'd smiled when she rolled her eyes at his response, and so his voice surprised her a little when he spoke.
"All right." She turned her head slightly to look at him, finding his brown gaze resting warming on her. "Its alright." The phrase seemed to hold a wealth of meaning: I won't pull away this time. You don't have to worry. Satisfied, she relaxed against him again, closing her eyes and letting her senses absorb how it felt to be held that way. Safe. Loved. Protected. Cherished. Swaddled in contentment she slid slowly and inexorably toward sleep.
Dinner was long overdue. Velika and Juybay prowled the house in search of either Kiara or Hiro, and met disconsolately in the kitchen.
"The loser was supposed to go fishing today," Velika offered, as Juybay looked questioningly at her.
"And assassin?"
Velika shrugged. " I dunno, who knows what my Ane is up too?"
"Well, if Hiro was going fishing, maybe he's still by the river," Juybay suggested.
"Whatever." Velika sounded less than convinced as she followed Juybay hand in hand out of the house grounds, and Juybay silently agreed with her. This wasn't like Hiro.
Juybay and Velika followed the river for some time, their unspoken worry growing, before they stumbled upon Kiara and Hiro peacefully asleep beneath the tree.
"What the..." Velika began, and was abruptly cut off as Juybay covered her mouth with his hand.
Juybay shook his head sharply at his girlfriend, indicating she should be quiet. He kissed Velika softly on the lips once she had calmed down a bit. He couldn't explain it, but there was something indescribably right about the couple cuddled together beneath the tree. Why should Velika and me be the only ones happy? Juybay thought to himself. He didn't really want to disturb them, and certainty not with one of Velika's curing outbursts. After a moment he sighed. He was going to have to wake them, whether he liked it or not. He couldn't let them spend the night out here. Juybay gathered up the fishing gear and Hiro's catch, and sent Velika, with a pat on her butt, and a quick kiss, back to the house with it. Bad enough to disturb them . . . he wasn't going to let Velika further ruin the mood with her rude comments and threats.
"Yo Hiro," Juybay whispered, gently nudging Hiro's leg with his foot.
Hiro sleepily opened his left eye to find the sun had set and that Juybay was standing over him. He blinked and then opened both eyes. "Oy, what?"
"Shhhh . . . assassin's still asleep."
As Juybay's words penetrated Hiro's sleepy mind, he glanced down at Kiara and smiled gently at her.
"Umm . . . I just though you shouldn't spend the night out here," Juybay continued, glancing away. The gentle way Hiro was looking at Kiara was too private for him to watch.
"Arigato." Juybay turned back to find Hiro standing, Kiara cradled in his arms. She snuggled he face into his neck as he spoke. "She looked so peacefully I couldn't wake her."
"Yeah." Juybay agreed, smiling at the somewhat sheepish tone in Hiro's voice. Shaking his head slightly, he turned and headed back towards the house trusting Hiro to follow.
Hiro looked down at Kiara again and smiled before following, precious bundle held close to his heart.
~ Owari ~
A QUIET EMBRACE
Kiara sighed, re reading the same passage for the 5th time. The house was peaceful, but the quiet was somehow distracting. Lonely, rather than restful. She sighed again. Small wonder she felt lonely, when she had the place to herself. Velika was visiting Juybay at his house, and Hiro-chan had gone fishing at near by river. Despondent, she allowed herself to slump forward over the table, bringing her head down to rest on the open pages. From her new position she stared out the open doors at the slowly passing clouds, letting the silence wash over her.
" Kuso yo! " Exasperated with herself, Kiara gathered up her book and stepped outside. The weather was perfect for out door reading. Maybe Hiro-chan wouldn't mind a little company...
Hiro yawned. The stillness by the river was a pleasant change from the cheerful and sometimes overwhelming noise common at the house, but after serval hours the calm had worn to boredom, the peace to a dulling lassitude. Without Mitzy and Tyler's cheerful company to occupy him while he waiting for to the fish to bite, he found himself continually fighting sleep. He stretched lazily and then returned to his previous position, slouched comfortably between the sheltering roots of a tree. He had begun to doze off again, lulled by the quiet and the warmth of the spring sun, when he heard Kiara's voice.
"Um . . . Hiro?"
He opened his eyes in surprise. "Kiara? What is it? Something wrong?"
"Uh uh." She shook her head, smiling hesitantly. "I was just be bored myself." She held up her book. "I thought I'd read outside. Ya mind if I join you?"
"Oy?" He blinked at her for a moment Before his sleepy mind registered what she'd asked him. Then he readily agreed, shifting to his left to make room for her beside him. He smiled as she settled herself against him, nestling in the angle of his shoulder and the tree.
"Nani?" She asked, catching his smile as she opened her book..
Hiro merely shook his head and turned his attention back to his fishing "I'm just glad to see you," he murmured.
Kiara's face lit with pleasure. "Oh..." she softly responded, momentarily resting her head against his shoulder. Always, she thought, I'm always glad to see you. Raising her head she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and then, content with the small smile still playing across his lips, began reading.
They spent the afternoon in companionable silence; the only sounds the soft splish of Hiro's fishing line and the rustle of turning pages. The fishing pole was put aside after awhile, and Hiro simply sat beside her while she read. Eyes partially closed he watched her, enjoying the play of emotions across her expressive face. Unwittingly he smiled when her nose crinkled in disapproval at something she read, and again when she paused to blow her hair our of her face. Utterly relaxed and content in her company, he slid into a comfortable half sleeping- half waking state.
As the afternoon progressed the wind picked up, turning the shade beneath the tree chilly. In response, Kiara snuggled herself closer against Hiro, glancing at him to see if he objected. He didn't seen to, lounging against the tree with his eyes closed. He merely shifted a little, changing positions so she could lean against him more comfortably; his right arm slipping around her as she settled against him. Neither spoke, but as she cuddled against him Kiara sighed in contentment. She let the book fall closed in her lap as she tangled the fingers of her left hand with those of his right. A moment later she felt him dip his head to rest against hers, and closed her eyes to bask in the safety and warmth of his arms, his presence.
Hiro was only slightly surprised when Kiara snuggled against him, as he'd felt her shiver beside hin in the cool spring breeze. He'd half persuaded himself to reach out to her when she'd moved closer to him on her own. Now, as she tangled her fingers with his, he wondered again at how well their feelings could mesh. This slight girl, with her soft heart and spine as strong as the metal of his Katana blade, had restored something infinitely precious in his life. She was home to him; her trust and unspoken love wrapping protectively around him whenever he was with her. His sigh echoed hers as he bent his head and pressed his cheek to the sweetly scented silk of her hair. On impulse, he gently released the curly dark brown strands from her royal blue hair ribbon she'd used to tie them back. His woman. Even Isaka, near death as he was, had recognized it. His past kept him from stating it as plainly as Isaka had, but he never denied it to himself, never protested it when someone else acknowledged it. She was his. His to protect, to comfort, to love. And he was hers. Perhaps there was no longer a reason to hide how important she was to him. He shrugged mentally as he admitted he hadn't really fooled anyone. Instead, his repeated withdrawals had hurt her, the one person he most wanted to protect.
Kiara felt the slight pull, heard the faint rasp as he slid the ribbon free, and opened her eyes in surprise. "Hiro . . ." Turning her head, peering up at him through the auburn curtain falling over her shoulder and across his chest, she found his chestnut eyes gazing softly at her.
"Koshii . . ." he whispered, his voice a caress. Letting the ribbon slide free from his fingers, he stroked a few strands away from her face, revealing the faint blush on her cheeks. Kiara's eyes widened slightly as realization sparked, and her small white teeth bit anxiously into her full bottom lip to stop its slight, nervous trembling.
He's going to kiss me. Kiara thought. His hand cradled her face, his thumb brushing back and forth over her cheek. God! Please let him kiss me. She bit her lip anxiously as she waited, and as his stoking thumb shifted to flow over the small hurt, she closed her closed her eyes. Oh please don't let him this time. A moment later his mouth - caressing, coaxing, faintly possessive - hers. Hiro . . .
Always before he'd withdrawn at the last moment, pretending to ignore or be unaware of feelings which infinitely obvious. As he kissed her now, the pretense was revealed in all its staggering depth. His touch was tempered with the gentleness he habitually displayed toward her, but also held a wealth of hidden emotion: Fire and longing, passion and demand. And all of it encompassed by an incredible sweetness. She protested softly when he released her moments later, disentangling her finger from his only to clench them instead in the loose fabric of his shirt to call him back. Teasing her fingers free he threaded them again with his own as his lips slid over her cheek, touched lightly on her eyes, and then finally brushed the tip of her nose. His arm tightened around her, holding her close against him as she turned her face into face into his chest.
"Hiro?" Her voice was soft and hesitant.
"Mmmm?" She felt a small glimmer of annoyance at the relaxed timbre of his. She frowned at their twined fingers; worried he would pull away, but uncertain what to say to stop him. She was unaware he was watching her, or that he'd smiled when she rolled her eyes at his response, and so his voice surprised her a little when he spoke.
"All right." She turned her head slightly to look at him, finding his brown gaze resting warming on her. "Its alright." The phrase seemed to hold a wealth of meaning: I won't pull away this time. You don't have to worry. Satisfied, she relaxed against him again, closing her eyes and letting her senses absorb how it felt to be held that way. Safe. Loved. Protected. Cherished. Swaddled in contentment she slid slowly and inexorably toward sleep.
Dinner was long overdue. Velika and Juybay prowled the house in search of either Kiara or Hiro, and met disconsolately in the kitchen.
"The loser was supposed to go fishing today," Velika offered, as Juybay looked questioningly at her.
"And assassin?"
Velika shrugged. " I dunno, who knows what my Ane is up too?"
"Well, if Hiro was going fishing, maybe he's still by the river," Juybay suggested.
"Whatever." Velika sounded less than convinced as she followed Juybay hand in hand out of the house grounds, and Juybay silently agreed with her. This wasn't like Hiro.
Juybay and Velika followed the river for some time, their unspoken worry growing, before they stumbled upon Kiara and Hiro peacefully asleep beneath the tree.
"What the..." Velika began, and was abruptly cut off as Juybay covered her mouth with his hand.
Juybay shook his head sharply at his girlfriend, indicating she should be quiet. He kissed Velika softly on the lips once she had calmed down a bit. He couldn't explain it, but there was something indescribably right about the couple cuddled together beneath the tree. Why should Velika and me be the only ones happy? Juybay thought to himself. He didn't really want to disturb them, and certainty not with one of Velika's curing outbursts. After a moment he sighed. He was going to have to wake them, whether he liked it or not. He couldn't let them spend the night out here. Juybay gathered up the fishing gear and Hiro's catch, and sent Velika, with a pat on her butt, and a quick kiss, back to the house with it. Bad enough to disturb them . . . he wasn't going to let Velika further ruin the mood with her rude comments and threats.
"Yo Hiro," Juybay whispered, gently nudging Hiro's leg with his foot.
Hiro sleepily opened his left eye to find the sun had set and that Juybay was standing over him. He blinked and then opened both eyes. "Oy, what?"
"Shhhh . . . assassin's still asleep."
As Juybay's words penetrated Hiro's sleepy mind, he glanced down at Kiara and smiled gently at her.
"Umm . . . I just though you shouldn't spend the night out here," Juybay continued, glancing away. The gentle way Hiro was looking at Kiara was too private for him to watch.
"Arigato." Juybay turned back to find Hiro standing, Kiara cradled in his arms. She snuggled he face into his neck as he spoke. "She looked so peacefully I couldn't wake her."
"Yeah." Juybay agreed, smiling at the somewhat sheepish tone in Hiro's voice. Shaking his head slightly, he turned and headed back towards the house trusting Hiro to follow.
Hiro looked down at Kiara again and smiled before following, precious bundle held close to his heart.
~ Owari ~