Disclaimer: Nothing is mine...yet. The chapter title 'This Charming Man' is by The Smiths. Yes, I do plan to name every chapter after an eighties song.
Author's Notes: Sorry for the long delay, I've been busy. But I expect that the next chapter should come out within the week and hopefully I'll have at least two more chapters out within the next week depending on my muse. But so far it's been good, I have the outline for the next three chapters ready. I'm really happy about this chapter though, I just really, really like the way it turned out, especially the last part. So I hope you guys enjoy it too. I hope my little flashback on the first part explains things. I'm not one to state things explicitly, I'm a fan of subtext, hee.
Thank you Notes: Thanks to my reviewers! kazeshinobi (hopefully I'll get you line and sinker with this chapter, hee!) mischkaaa (wah, I failed on the sexytime for this chappie!) obsessed-chan (maybe in the deleted scenes, ask khryzle-chan of my plans, hahahah) chloe21 (er, you'll just have to read the story to get the answer to your questions :D) JamJam-chan (Fuuko jealous? Maybe, hehe) Shen-chan (it's okay love. And for steamy scenes, I have evil plans) SnowCharms (Granted they're both over thirty in this fic, I figured they'd be wiser about it I haven't really had the chance to insert it into the narrative, but yes they are using birth control.) malo (Thankies! Yes, Ganko's a pesky little one, broke the mood and all, hehe. And your spidey sense isn't so far off!) alf05 (so I wasn't the only one amused with sexy time! Hee! God, I can still picture it in my head.) cLoTiHeArT (He is! And terribly so!) ashi-chan (Bwah, don't bleed over your keyboard, that could be messy! Glad you liked the story!) Kyusetsuki Satsuki (the first part should answer your question) abubi-chan (Perhaps both, who knows. At this rate Tokiya could end up with Domon. Bwahahah, kidding!) khryzle-chan (Drooling is unbecoming beeyatch! Get on IM sometime! And don't worry, I'll snail mail you porn written in longhand should you ever get thrown into a convent.) ladylyris (Oh man, what woman would pass up a chance to molest that beautiful man? I'm shocked myself that I didn't make her drag him up to that room!) khay (Thanks so much for reviewing this and Just As You Are, I'm glad you enjoyed the entirety of JAYA and hopefully you'll like this one too. I'm glad you enjoy the way I've portrayed them as grown-ups, it's quite exciting for me to explore them at an age closer to mine. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter too!)
Chapter Four: This Charming Man
Four years earlier:
He could only stroke her hair, she had beautiful hair and he thought it was a good thing that she grew it out. They had been decidedly not looking at each other for the last ten minutes. What the hell do you say to someone you've just had mind-blowing sex with? Well, normally he would say 'Care for another round?' But then it wasn't a 'normally' sort of situation. She was his closest friend. And he couldn't help but dread the possibility that he'd completely ruined it.
"Don't worry, I'm not in love with you," she said with slight humor.
"Same here," he said, a little bit relieved.
"Just tell me, Mi-chan, you're not dating anyone, are you? I can't keep track with you," she said with a little crack in her voice.
"No, I wouldn't do that to you."
"Good, because I refuse to be the other woman, even if unwittingly so."
He only nodded in understanding and let his hand drop to her arm, fingers flitting over her skin.
"So what do we do now?" she asked.
He shrugged.
"I really wish you'd say something."
"That was the best sex I've ever had."
She laughed. "Seriously."
He looked at her unflinchingly. "I am serious."
"Would you see me differently if I told you I want to do it again?"
His heart jumped. "No. I'd be lying if I said I never thought of you that way even once."
"Really?"
"I've had couple of x-rated dreams starring you," he said nonchalantly. There's really no point in being modest.
She laughed again, raucously, unbefitting of the sensuality her skin was emitting. Or maybe it was just him. "Wow, the iceman has fantasies about little old me."
"Man would be the operative word there."
"So you're not completely opposed to the idea of doing this again?"
He didn't respond.
"No strings attached?"
"You're my friend Fuuko. Believe it or not, I value our friendship."
"It's just sex," she said, eyes straying away from his as her finger traced circles on his linen sheets.
"It could complicate things," he said although he was dying to kiss her again.
"Not if we're always honest with each other," she said looking pointedly at him, "just make sure to tell me if you start seeing anyone else."
"And you extend to me the same courtesy," he said, drawing his head closer.
"And don't fall in love with me," she said jokingly.
"I don't make it a habit to fall in love with monkeys," he quipped.
"Right, you just sleep with them," she said but was cut off when he kissed her once more.
"How was Thailand?" Fuuko greeted jovially as she stepped out into the patio.
"It was beautiful, they had the most amazing beaches," Yanagi answered.
"I see you've spent a lot of hours out in the sun," the former wind master said, referring to the glowing tan Yanagi now sported.
"A lot more than I wanted," Recca said with slight bitterness.
Yanagi's jaw dropped. "We had so much fun on the beach!"
"We'd have had more fun in the hotel room," Recca said as he popped a gum in his mouth.
"Still the romantic, I see," Fuuko commented amusedly.
Yanagi shook her head in faux disappointment. "My husband is absolutely hopeless."
"If you mean hopelessly in love with you, then that's absolutely true," Recca added with a cheesy grin.
Fuuko couldn't stop herself from grinning as Yanagi's cheeks flamed red and half-heartedly slapped his arm; they were just too cute. "Stop it, you're making me sick."
"Who's making you sick?" Tokiya's low timber wafted in the air. He went out the patio and soundlessly slid the glass door closed.
"These two, they're acting like newlyweds," Fuuko said as she made room for him on the loveseat.
"We are newlyweds, dumbass," Recca said.
"Oh god, you two aren't going to start your inane pedomorphic arguments, are you?" Tokiya said, exasperation hidden behind his cold voice.
Recca gave him a blank look. "Tell us first what pedomorphic means and then we'll answer your question."
"You're an idiot."
"Dude, I still don't know what pedomorphic means."
"Maybe it means you're an idiot," Fuuko said with a grin and Recca had to laugh.
"You're both idiots," Tokiya calmly returned. Fuuko and Recca burst into laughter.
"I missed you man," Recca said through snorts.
"I didn't miss you one bit."
"You hurt my feelings."
"Seamonkeys are incapable of emotion."
"Now who's being childish?" Fuuko said with an ironic snicker.
Tokiya only sneered at her.
"Why don't we cut it at that," Yanagi said, speaking like she was the only adult in the room, "how was your trip?"
"Uneventful, thankfully, it was a swift ride," Fuuko answered.
"Of course it was, you slept the entire way," Tokiya said teasingly.
"I offered to drive!"
"Thanatos is not a condition I have," Tokiya answered.
"If you're going to keep talking like that, I'll have to go get a dictionary," Recca interrupted.
"That would only help if you actually knew how to read," Tokiya said evenly.
Fuuko noticed the slight tightening of Recca's chest. He wasn't seriously pissed off, just itching for a scuffle; that much she can tell. She recognized that emotion, the need to fight, no matter how many years have passed since the last time she held her Fuujin or even a kunai, no matter how much she has changed, in appearance and in attitude, she still cannot deny the thirst for a fight that rumbled deep inside her. "Hey, if you two want a go, do it outside where you won't wreck my mother's furniture," she said warningly.
Tokiya looked at her with those grey eyes that made her feel as if she was hiding something even if she weren't. "Are you trying to make us stop or do you just want to spar?"
Fuuko rolled her eyes. "I've gone past the age of indulgent brawling."
Tokiya leaned over and whispered low in her ear, so low that neither Recca nor Yanagi would be able to make out his lips. "I'll spar with you anytime."
Fuuko fought to keep her breathing steady; it was a good thing that she didn't blush easily but Kami did her face feel hot. Sometimes Fuuko thought Tokiya got off on the possibility of getting caught. She shot him a glare that begged to say, 'Stop it.' He only gave her a seductive smirk and she suppressed the urge to hit him with one of her mother's potted plants. She didn't want to upset her mother.
The two missed the surreptitious glance the married couple shared in front of them.
"Fuuko-chan, by the way," Yanagi said as she leaned forward to take a sip of lemonade, "how long are you going to be here?"
Fuuko welcomed the diversion. "I'll be here until mid-January."
Yanagi swallowed the lemonade in her mouth before speaking, "Fantastic, I'm going to need some help with the house warming party. Recca and I were thinking we'll hold it first Saturday of January, right after we finish painting the house."
Fuuko immediately went to events organizer mode. "No problem! Is it going to be small and intimate? Just a few friends? I know a few caterers who does things like that, and real cheap so you get your money's worth. And on the way here I found this really lovely bead shop; they accept personalized orders, I think beaded bracelets would make great give-away presents."
Yanagi shook her head with a laugh. "Not like that, Fuuko, it's not going to be a grand party or anything, we're just having you guys over for dinner and some people at my and Recca's work. No need for caterers and such. I was hoping you'd help me cook or something."
Fuuko arched an eyebrow. "Cook? You know I can't cook!"
"But, you've lived away from your mother for such a long time, you must've picked up on it," Yanagi said.
"I can't cook, tell her Mi-chan."
"She can't cook, she can't even order properly from a menu."
"You know that last part really wasn't necessary."
"I was just trying to reinforce your point."
Fuuko stuck her tongue out at him and he merely grinned. She returned her focus on Yanagi. "But I can help you paint!"
"Paint? Our house?" Recca said doubtfully.
"I'm good at painting, tell him Mi-chan."
"She's good at painting. My room had five makeovers just in the last year. I had no idea there were so many shades of turquoise."
Recca laughed. "You let her paint your room, Mikagami?"
Tokiya nodded severely. "I have learned that catering to her whims was the best way to avoid a black eye."
Fuuko let out an affronted gasp. "Hey! I don't hit you anymore!"
"Yes you do," he said, eyeing her warily.
The married couple giggled in amusement.
"You know, if you two were married you'd be a battered husband," Recca chided.
Fuuko did not miss it when Tokiya's shoulders tensed up.
"Oh, I forgot, you had that forever bachelor vow," Recca added as an afterthought.
"I just don't see the point of marriage, no offense," Tokiya said in a small voice.
"What about you Fuuko?" Yanagi asked.
"Um, well, it's really too early to think about that."
"You're thirty, Fuuko-chan. Don't you want children?" Yanagi pressed.
She let out a nervous laugh. She really did not want to talk about this in front of Tokiya, for reasons she has yet to quantify. "Yeah," she couldn't bear to lie, "but you know, there are women who get pregnant at forty. I could be one of those women."
"But it'll be difficult."
"I could always adopt. There are too many children in this world who don't have parents, I might as well help alleviate the burden," she reasoned, hoping the lack of stuttering would convince them that she didn't care. In truth, she wanted children, she wanted a husband, she wanted a home with white picket fences and a Labrador named Rocket. But what can she do, she couldn't find anyone to build that life with and she refused to settle, and there was no point moping over something she couldn't control.
Yanagi shrugged and Fuuko could tell from her best friend's steel gaze that she didn't believe any of her bullshit; but Yanagi was never one to confront something head on. "To each his own, I guess," she finished. Although Fuuko knew the discussion was far from over, just postponed. And she couldn't fight off the feeling that Yanagi knew something was off. It irritated her that the woman could be so damn perceptive.
"Well, I really don't care about your views on family life, as long as you're painting my house you're fine with me," Recca said pragmatically.
"Recca! You can't make her paint our house! Have some shame," Yanagi chastised.
"She offered!"
"Yanagi, it's okay, I enjoy it. It's oddly relaxing," Fuuko insisted, "and the two of us could hang out! Like old times!"
Yanagi started laughing. Fuuko took one look at her and instantly knew what the girl was about.
"What's so funny?" Tokiya asked.
Fuuko calmed down long enough to share the story. "Remember when Yanagi and I roomed together the first year of college? You know, before she moved back here to be near Recca? We were assigned to this seriously dilapidated building and the room we got was this dreadful shade of orange. Anyway, the RN said we're free to paint the room if we wanted."
"But of course we didn't have enough funds to spare to buy enough paint to cover all the walls. We didn't have enough funds to cover a quarter of it, even," Yanagi supplied.
Fuuko seamlessly continued the story, "So little miss can't do nothing illegal here suggested that we can sneak some paint from the art department."
"With the tuition we were paying, it wasn't exactly stealing, it was just taking what the excess was worth," Yanagi defended with a giggle.
"She said we should do it at night, since no one guards that building, unfortunately the supplies room was on the second floor--"
"And we had to use a ladder to climb up--"
"On the way down, someone was stupid enough to leave a lidless bucket of paint on the window sill--"
"I had no idea the window didn't have a latch!" Yanagi squealed guiltily.
"Long story short, we ended up drenched in paint!"
"It was green, remember?" Yanagi said, eyes twinkling.
"And it wasn't even cool green, it was baby poop green! And it wouldn't come off our hair for days!"
Yanagi at this point was clutching her stitches from too much laughter. "We made up this story that we were in some sort of eighties revival band."
"Although we did end up with beautiful cerulean blue walls!"
"How come I didn't know about this?" Tokiya asked, completely baffled. He went to the same university they did and he didn't remember seeing Yanagi or Fuuko with green hair at any point.
"That's because you were such a horrible snob Mi-chan, we barely saw you when we were in college. Granted it was a big campus and you lived all the way on the other side," Fuuko explained.
"Oh." He didn't think he had been so unfriendly at the time. It made him regret all the times he missed out spending time with both girls. This wasn't the first story he'd heard from Fuuko about her misadventures with Yanagi that first year of college. After all, of the Hokage members, the two women were the closest to his heart. He just took to women better than men (and no, that doesn't make him gay or a playboy for that matter.) Although it took him a while to admit to himself that Fuuko, when not physically maiming him, was pleasant company…and nice to look at.
"So you'll come over Wednesday afternoon? I'll be on leave that day," Yanagi broke through his reverie. Apparently no one had noticed that he had spaced out and went on to make plans.
"Sure, don't really have much work to do until next week, I have lots of free time," Fuuko answered, all the while engrossed on the invisible lint on her skirt.
"What about me?" Tokiya asked.
"What about you?" Fuuko asked without looking at him.
"I don't want to paint their house," he said with finality.
"No one asked you to; feel free to do whatever you like."
"You dragged me to this vacation; you're responsible for my entertainment," he said in a way that only Fuuko recognized as playful.
"You can come with me and watch us paint the house then," she said unaffected.
"That's boring," he said.
"I could always hire strippers to come here and keep you busy but I doubt my mother would approve," she said with a straight face.
"Funny, Kirisawa."
"I know," she said as she batted her eyelashes at him.
"You can always hang out with me and Domon," Recca suggested.
Fuuko's head shot up as if she was just reminded that they actually had a fifth friend missing from the group. "Yeah, where is Domon?"
"He's flying in Tuesday morning. He spent the last week doing some sort of promotional tour in Korea and his flight was delayed," Yanagi explained their friend's absence.
"You can come over around lunch, I'll take the afternoon off work at the factory, I know this great place," Recca said with a conspiratorial wink.
"You're not going to that girly bar," Yanagi said, her tone laced with death threats.
"Of course not, honey, I'm talking about this great steakhouse over at the highlands," Recca said innocently.
"Would you like to stay happily married Hanabishi?" she asked, bangs covering her eyes. Fuuko wondered how such a small and dainty woman could manage to loom over a man half a foot taller than her.
"Yes," Recca squeaked.
"Then you better be going to that steakhouse."
"Of course honey."
Tokiya smirked; it seemed Yanagi picked up a thing or two from Fuuko on how to control her man.
"Nii-san!"
Fuuko bounded down the stairs like an uncontainable five year-old as soon as she heard Ganko announce that their older brother, Takashi, had arrived. Tokiya was downstairs helping Kagome in the kitchen and went out to the living room to be welcomed by the sight of Fuuko tackling her older brother to the floor refusing to let go of the tight hold she had on his neck.
"I missed you too, squirt," Takashi's lofty voice said beneath a heap of purple hair.
Tokiya liked seeing her like this, brash and irrepressible, much like she was when they were seventeen and fighting off evil men who wanted to take over the world. And so different from the high society, manipulative and bossy bitch she referred to as her work persona; he didn't quite like seeing her that way. To him, that wasn't Fuuko.
"Enough of that; let your brother breathe," Kagome said while shaking her head at her two children.
Fuuko got up but didn't let go of the hold she had on her brother. "Ma, aren't you happy to see your kids get along so well?"
"Yes, but if you break anything in the process, I will disown you both," she answered. And she didn't sound like she was kidding.
"Tokiya-san, it's been a while, how have you been?" Takashi said politely when he spotted Tokiya standing behind Kagome.
"I am good," he nodded in acknowledgment, "and congratulations, I heard you have another baby on the way. How far along are you?" He directed the question at Takashi's wife Ayame who stood a few feet away, a safe distance from the rowdy siblings.
"Three months, two weeks," she answered with a glow in her face.
Fuuko stepped towards her sister-in-law and hugged her. "You're making me godmother this time!"
"Of course!" Ayame agreed as she hugged the purple-haired woman in return.
"Are you sure that's wise, koishii?" Takashi said teasingly.
Fuuko hit him over the head. "I'm a responsible adult!"
Takashi looked at her doubtfully. "Is that so? Tell me, does Tokiya-san still need to remind you that you need to do your laundry?"
"Yes, I do. And she still doesn't know how to properly operate the washing machine," Tokiya said helpfully.
"Pfft, all minor details."
"Last month she used dish soap as substitute for detergent," Tokiya added.
"Are you second guessing your decision now, Ayame?" Takashi said with an amused smile.
"Ma! They're ganging up on me!" Fuuko whined.
"You two stop it, it's not my daughter's fault she's too dim for housework," Kagome defended…sort of.
"You're not helping!"
"What am I supposed to say? How could you mistake dish soap for detergent?!" Kagome said.
"It's called being inventive."
Her mother sighed. "It's a good thing Tokiya here is house-broken. I bet he does all the chores."
"That I do."
"You'll make a great housewife someday, Mi-chan," Fuuko said sarcastically.
"At least I can tell when milk is expired."
Everyone laughed as Fuuko reddened in embarrassment. "It tasted fine!"
"Fuuko, the expiry date was a month past due," he reminded her. Now even Ayame was giggling.
"Oh, I'll get you for that," she sneered as she waved her finger threateningly though Tokiya knew she didn't really mean it.
Kagome ushered everyone to the dining area soon after. As Fuuko passed him, Tokiya held on to her wrist and held her back half a step. "Can't wait," he whispered. He schooled his face to its icy countenance before walking ahead of her to where the rest of her family was.
Dinner proved to be delightful. Takashi and Ayame made plans to take Tokiya and Fuuko to the mall that opened just last year. Apparently there was a great bazaar area where they could shop for cheap clothes and all women were a glutton for sales. Takashi offered to take Tokiya to some of the second hand and antique bookshops, knowing the younger man's penchant for hard to find classic books. The two shared the same interest, Takashi aside from working as a photographer also happened to be a professor of English literature at the community college and Tokiya enjoyed a lively discussion about the works of Thomas Hardy with him. Takashi was a fan and Tokiya found the man snore inducing. He could hear Fuuko fending off Ayame, Ganko and Kagome's interrogation about her love life in the background. He kind of felt bad for her but he didn't think he'd fare too well if their places were switched.
After enjoying a cup of coffee out in the patio, Takashi and Ayame bid their farewell and promised to take their son Shuichi with them on their next visit. Apparently the boy was at a sleepover with some school chums and couldn't come.
"You two aren't turning in yet?" Kagome asked Fuuko as she got up from one of the cushioned armed chairs on the porch.
"I'll stay out here for a bit," Fuuko said as she took a sip of her coffee.
"I'll keep you company," Tokiya said.
"Well, I'm going to sleep; it'll be a busy day tomorrow. Mondays are always hectic at the restaurant," Ganko announced as she took her mug from the coffee table and went inside.
"Me too, I'm too old to stay up late," Kagome said, following her youngest daughter.
"Good night," Fuuko said softly.
Fuuko leaned back on the cushioned wicker couch. She slipped off her flip flops and set her feet on the edge of her seat, knees raised up to her chest. She quietly observed the stars and Tokiya quietly observed her. He hadn't seen her like this in a while. Serene, happy and simple, as if the mere smell of damp leaves could make her smile.
"You're happy here," he said. It wasn't a question.
"I am, I had no idea how much I missed this place, not just my family, everything about this place. It's really home for me," she answered without looking at him. It didn't matter, seeing the moonlight cast a soft glow on her face was enough.
"It is, for us," he said.
"Do you ever think about settling back here instead of chasing our dreams in Tokyo?" she asked. There was something wistful about her voice, as if she was speaking beneath the waves of the ocean.
"Sometimes," he said truthfully.
"Do you think we ever will?"
"Maybe someday."
"I miss it when things were simple," she said. Something in the way her voice quavered the teensiest bit made him think that she meant something else.
"Things weren't quite simple then," he told her. Who would call battling creatures with superhuman strength and dealing with people born centuries past simple?
"It was, Mi-chan, in a way. It was all just good versus bad, no trappings in between. We were so idealistic; everything was about saving others and protecting our loved ones. Now I have to deal with work and taxes and relationships and looking for a pantyhose that doesn't get runs so easily and I'm still not sure if there's a purpose behind it all," she said, a tinge of regret painting her words.
Tokiya stood up from his position on the chair opposite hers and moved to sit beside her. He eased an arm around her waist and she familiarly leaned against his frame, her head resting on his shoulder. "Any reason for this introspection?"
"Not really, it's just really quiet here. I'm not used to things being quiet this early at night," she said and snuggled further into his chest as she stretched her legs over his lap. She felt soothingly warm against the cold night.
They spent the next hour or so sitting like that, his arm around her waist, his free hand stroking her calf while she traced patterns on his chest her warm breath ghosting over his neck. Sometimes she would whisper names of constellations to him and he would kiss her on the cheek from time to time.
The low rise and fall of her chest told him she had succumbed to sleep. He pulled her closer to him as he felt soft crystals dragging over his eyes. He faintly registered that this was the first time they would sleep beside each other without having sex. And as the sandman finally conquered him his last thought was that he had never felt closer to her than he did this night.
…
To be continued...
End Notes: Okay, so Domon did not appear. I'm sorry, I had no idea it'd turn out this long and I really wanted to end this chapter with that last line from Tokiya's brain. But a lot of things will happen next chapter...
Next Chapter: Things happen...Yanagi grows bunny ears and Recca and Domon work as male strippers. Or not. But it'll be fun, I swear. Bwahahaahhaha...
THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING, HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE ENJOYED THE CHAPTER ENOUGH TO LEAVE ME A REVIEW PROCLAIMING ME AS THE GODDESS OF PINK BOAS! Seriously though, I wouldn't mind it if you tell me what you think, unless you think I suck ass and should die a slow painful death in which case shut up...hehehehe
