Hilo everyone! I appreciate the favorites, reviews and the alerts even though it was just a prologue for well over a year. Thank you. I still can't guarantee a regular update schedule. I know what's going to happen all the way up to the third sequence, it's just actually typing it. That part always gets me. The chapters will probably be around a thousand words so I can at least try to update this since this is a sequel, but aside from the shortness, I hope you like it. Please forgive me for my attitude in the prologue. That was over a year ago, and I've changed, so I won't resort to that kind of tactic again. I apologize.
"An understanding heart is everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child." — Carl Jung
. . .
The seemingly harmless two days felt like endless lifetimes for Reina. She did her best to smile for her all too observant children, and spent as much time as she could with them to have fun. A few hours after Kurama had left yet again on another 'quick' mission, she took Hoshi and Kiku to the nearby park to play and catch rays. Hoshi, like his father, had taken a liking to the soccer ball, so they all kicked it to each other in a big triangle. Hoshi was confident, so he didn't hold back when he kicked to Reina who could keep up with her long strides. She softly kicked the ball to Kiku, who then clumsily kicked the ball a few times so it got close enough to Hoshi. When Kiku got tired, she decided she wanted to play on the gym set and the swings, so Reina chose a spot to sit so she could watch both of her children until it was time to go back home where they would bathe and eat.
In all honesty, she loved Shuichi with every fiber of her blood and soul, but maybe his other side, 'Kurama,' who had to leave to fight demons, and was leaving more often recently, was just too much for her. She fell in love with the kind-hearted gentle Shuichi Minamino, not the demon-killing, almost cold-tact, Kurama. She had accepted all sides of him, even Yoko who made his own special appearance from time to time just to verbally flirt with her. She had to admit, that silver, yellow-eyed, fox demon made her laugh, so she didn't mind it too much, just as long as he kept to the no-touching oath and complimented her cooking. She had accepted everything to do with 'Makai' and 'youkai,' and the spirit realm, but could she keep up her mental shield to just put up with it, and just be happy that she had Shuichi at all?
After she read to her children and made absolute sure they were asleep, she got herself ready for bed. She brushed her hair and teeth, and changed into a light nightgown that went down to her calves, along with carrying a pillow and a blanket down to the living room couch. She wanted to wait up for Shuichi, but she knew she would fall asleep anyway, like she always did when she waited up for him. She imagined hugging him as soon as he stepped inside, probably tired from the late night, and the mission, and to reheat the dinner to give to him so she knew he at least ate something before crashing. Then, when they woke up, they would say, 'Good morning,' like he was never gone in the first place, and start over. She could never stay up late enough though.
This time, she decided to just sleep on the couch. She wouldn't bother staying up until four in the morning before the lack of caffeine and energy overtook her. If he wasn't with her or if she wasn't in her bed, she knew she would be peeved, because he hadn't kept his promise. It was quite rare when he didn't keep his promises, but it was usually because some supernatural force kept him from it, so she couldn't blame him, but she couldn't help be mad about it.
She wanted to talk to him about it-about everything she would always keep to herself about. The whole saying about how married couples should know everything about each other was all bull to her. Reina would tell Shuichi everything that was important, but she would keep all of the trivial thoughts that she was irritated about to herself. Whenever he would leave, she would think, 'This is his job, and he's doing this to protect us. So even if he has to go out often, it doesn't matter what I have to say. He's doing this for us.' Hell, she was willing to tell Yoko, but Shuichi was better to talk to; he wouldn't try to deviate the conversation to her bed or the bath.
. . .
When it was morning, Reina peaked over her blankets to see that she was in her bedroom in her bed. She smiled, happy that Shuichi was home, and hadn't broken his promise after all. She rolled over to hold him, and wasn't at all disappointed to feel someone else's body heat.
"Well, this is certainly a nice way of showing me you really do like me." It wasn't Shuichi.
Reina sat up to see cocky golden eyes. "Yoko!" She grabbed a pillow and swung it at his face, and when he grabbed it with both hands she used the opportunity to shove him off the bed. "You're a stupid pervert."
Yoko sat up from the floor and wittily shot back, "You're the one who came on to me, and, by the way, nice cleavage."
Reina yanked up the blanket over her chest with a burning face. "Get out so I can change already. I'll fix breakfast soon unless you want to eat strips of raw bacon."
"I'm not an animal, I enjoy cooked meat too."
"Your ears and tail says differently."
"Touché. What I meant to say is that I enjoy your cooking."
"You're not watching me change, get out and wait at the kitchen table." Reina was full of no-nonsense that morning, and Yoko was done pressing his luck, so he left the room.
. . .
"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." — Carl Jung
