Umeshu
Flashback I
One day ago…
If Yumemi had been hoping for a quiet little ceremony, and reception with her closest friends, Ichiko supposed that this was about as far from that idea as possible. The great ceiling-less hall, rimmed in tall columns, was filled with banquet style rounds; small tables dotting the room. There was even a space for dancing.
Ichiko cringed away. Ugh, dancing…
"Wasn't the ceremony beautiful?" Suzumei crooned, holding Kazuya's arm as they entered through the garlanded archway.
Ichiko nodded, "Yumemi looked so happy."
"Speaking of," Kazuya looked around, "where are the newlyweds? Shouldn't they be entertaining their guests? Looks like a few dignitaries even showed up."
People watching, Ichiko supposed at least some kind of emissary from all the Heavenly realms had attended. Nothing like a wedding to bring people together.
"Look! There she is!" Suzumei bounced onto her toes and pointed across the dance floor. Yumemi and the King were entering from a secluded archway. Munto was speaking with someone as they emerged to cheers; Ichiko could tell by the mop of sea-foam hair exactly who was by the King's side.
Rui looked rather… worn. Ichiko scrunched her nose. Nevertheless, he gave a dignified bowed and moved away as the light applause grew in volume. Munto bowed his head, and Yumemi blushed brilliantly.
The musicians, set on the dais up front, began playing as the couple moved towards the now open floor. Yumemi caught her friends' gaze before Munto wrapped his arms around her. She was teary-eyed, and happier than Ichiko had ever seen her.
Good, she thought, Yumemi deserved it.
The King and his Queen began dancing slowing, each transfixed upon the other. The rest of Heaven and Earth could have crumbled around them and they wouldn't have cared.
Ichiko could hear Suzumei sniffle. Trying to avoid any embarrassing waterworks herself, she slipped away, a tight knot squeezing her insides.
It was good Yumemi had someone who understood her. And Suzumei had Kazuya of course…
Ichiko thought of Takashi, how she had ended it with him only a few months after they had started dating. At first, it was cute the way he bumbled around, always apologizing. But it drained her, as if she had to walk on eggshells all the time. He couldn't take her banter, even if she didn't mean to hurt his feelings.
Lost in thought, she weaved through the crowd towards one of the attendants
"A drink, miss?" The woman smiled at her. "Some wine?"
Now presented with the choice she almost denied, almost refused, but a knot in her stomach- empty as if she were starving- gnawed violently. Perhaps, Ichiko thought, the drink would help.
Talking the fine crystal glass she raised it to her lips. Just a taste, tiny. Smooth like honey but with a bite of peppery tang. Good, expensive, perhaps homegrown right there in the Kingdom. Every sip was better than the last; closing the hole, masking the knot.
I'll just take a seat, she thought, sliding into an empty chair. She asked for another glass of wine. The first was already empty.
Her third one went down easy too.
She was swimming, her body floating somewhere on the ceiling; stars dancing round her head, expanding out to fill the cobwebbed corners. The latent liquor, creeping like spilt ink, was slow in its conquest but utterly complete.
Her mind was blanking. Sweet, sweet diversion.
"You seem…preoccupied."
And then, she was crashing down.
That man! God sometimes she wanted to wring his neck!
Without even waiting for an answer, Rui slid into the seat across the table. Slid, not sat- his body slouched backwards, slipping down.
Ichiko eyed him. "Have you been drinking?" she managed. It sounded more like incoherent mumbling rather than legitimate speech.
Rui gave her a sidelong glance, "Have you?"
Like he didn't know the answer to that one.
She raised her goblet. In return, he tipped what looked suspiciously like a beer bottle in her direction. Ichiko smirked, taking his motion like a toast, and drank. He did the same, and she felt wildly nervous when she noticed he was trying to hide a smile.
She smacked her lips loudly. "Great fucking party, huh?" He raised an eyebrow at her language. "Shouldn't you be out there," Ichiko gestured somewhere over his head, "schmoozing?"
"I'm off duty."
"Pifft." Another swig. "Once you work for The Man, you're never 'off duty'."
"The Man?"
She waved off the question. "So, with your limited free time you've decided to come and bother me, is that it?"
"You looked-" Rui paused, wherein he locked his gaze with hers. "You looked in need of some company."
A muscle ticked in Ichiko's jaw, "You mean lonely."
"I never said that."
"Pifft." She took another drink, but in doing so something struck her as odd. This was, by far, the most pleasant conversation they have ever had. No yelling, no screaming. Not yet.
Why wasn't she telling him to get lost already?
Time lagged, and there was a very long, very awkward silence growing between them bot. Ichiko fiddled with the tablecloth.
"You know," Rui started after the pause, searching the crowd but eyes unfocused, "When I first heard about all this I was furious."
Ichiko snorted, "What? The wedding?" He nodded. "Join the club."
He grinned. "Can I really?" He quipped off-handedly.
For some reason his tone struck her funny, and Ichiko began to laugh. It wasn't one of those "ha-ha" deep-down barks of laughter she was accustom to giving. No, Ichiko giggled.
Rui looked staggered.
Almost as fast at the sound came out, Ichiko clasped her free hand over her mouth. She could suddenly feel a stifling heat, as if the crowded hall were creeping up on her.
If she didn't get outside, Ichiko was likely to puke all over herself, the table, and the man before her.
"I," She murmured after a minute, standing up slowly. Rui mirrored her motion out of courtesy. "I need some air. Which… which way is, uh, out?"
He pointed to an ivy-covered trellis at the south end of the hall. "It leads to the open grounds."
"Great."
"Do you need assistance? I can walk with you…"
Ichiko barely heard him as she willed her body to move, "Sure. Whatever."
A/n- I know this is a short chapter, but the other one is already written so I just need to do some editing. It should be up by the end of the week. Lots of goodies in the next installment to make up for this chapter's length- oh yes, I said goodies.