Disclaimer: I don't own Kitchen Princess, or its characters. Natsumi Ando does.
Story: She missed Sora and he reminded her of him. He hadn't felt such kindness or caring for himself since his late wife. Daichi just wants to support them both, but doesn't know how. Akane is just trying to be a good friend.
Set as an AU after Najika gives the Director the salted sweets, and no Daichi/Najika parts.
Spoilers: Yes, for the whole series.
Warnings: ?
Pairings: The Director/Najika, strong past Sora/Najika, side (minor?) Seiya/Najika, and Daichi/Akane…
Salted Caramel Chocolates
Chapter Seven: Sunday Bloody Sunday
Masahiko firmly focused on his cooking, making sure it was perfect. He didn't want it to be anywhere near the mess it had been when he'd first cooked paella. The product after, he was pleased to find, was very well done and looked appetizing.
The lunch with his son was even better.
It went very well. They had a fantastic talk and they managed to have a good time together. He couldn't remember the last time he and Daichi had managed to bond together as family, or even were remotely amiable towards each other. But here they were, finally just talking. They talked about many things, even Sora, and it made him feel so good to just be able to be like this with Daichi. Though he stole that amazing speech from Najika about paella to start him and Daichi off, it had worked well to catch his son off guard and allow him to make his way passed Daichi's guard.
The one thing missing here was Najika.
It was the Sunday of her flight, where she had to go and leave and head for the competition. He knew she'd be back, and he knew this competition was important to her. But he missed her dreadfully and he still would rather be able to see her.
It was hard for him not to try to call her at every opportunity that presented itself. Instead, he focused on Daichi and their lunch, and was happy it'd gone well. And when his son left…He couldn't help himself. He'd booked the next flight to Paris and had packed his bag. As he searched his room, shoving clothes into an overnight bag, he couldn't help the slight smile that formed on his face as he saw little things that noted Najika's presence in his room. Despite how careful they should be, he liked that there were signs left behind to remind him of her. He was missing her far too much.
Bag packed, he made his way to the airport and waited the time it took for him to board a plane. At his seat, he'd just managed to close his eyes and fall asleep, and when he woke up, he hoped he'd already be there.
The more he was coming to be closer to Najika, the more he realized just how invested he'd become. This was someone he'd once thought he'd hated, and at the core of his grief over Sora before, had even blamed her for his death. But now…now he felt as if he couldn't bear to be without her. Like a moment without her felt empty.
He'd awoken abruptly, the jolt of the plane landing causing him to come awake immediately. Groggily sitting up and getting ready to leave, he got his carryon and waited for the passengers to be able to be let off. Once they were given the okay, it was a slow trek out and then he was coming out of the terminal and into the airport. From there, he rented a car and tried to remember the directions he'd asked to the place where Najika and her co-competitor were staying at.
Speaking of Mizuno Seiya…
That boy was really becoming a nuisance. He wasn't happy with the way the other seemed to be gravitating and even looking to be developing feelings of his own towards Najika. Aside from looking too similar to his late son (not that the kid was anything like Sora), he was beginning to despise the way the boy was becoming too close to Najika. Expressly given how alike they were, especially in regards to their similar passions in cooking. And they were nearer to each other's age…
The anxiety that gripped him is almost painful, and he wondered again if he is doing the right thing. Being here, chasing after her, being with her in the first place…There's so many things that he knew worried him late in the night sometimes, and things he's sure that worry her too.
If he is honest, he knows that Seiya is closer to her, in age and in passions. They have more in common with each other, and are like-minded in many things. They understand each other, and they wouldn't have to worry about the world judging them. It would make sense for Najika and he to not be together, and for Masahiko to let her go. To be unselfish enough to do this one thing…
But he knew how lonely he'd become and how much Najika had filled the void. He also knew that lonely people tended to want to be selfish.
So here he was, in front of the hotel they were supposed to be staying in and mind conflicted with what he wanted to do and what he should do. However, he'd gone this far for her. He wasn't just going to let Najika slip through his fingers after everything. Besides, he knew her enough to know she'd be upset at him trying to make decisions for her, and to break it off so abruptly would make her go into a rare angry tirade with him.
Najika was naturally sweet and tended to be like that all the time. She did, however, have a very angry-upset hybrid reaction that showed up whenever she was truly aggravated and upset with something.
It made him grin a little bit, and recalled the one time he'd been so grief-stricken (because every once and awhile, he still felt random attacks of grief overtake him) over Sora and had started blaming himself over it. Najika had definitely gotten upset with him then, and he'd never gotten over an episode so quickly or so easily before. She was always helping him.
Heading passed the lobby and into an elevator, he remembered what floor and what rooms the two were staying in. Before long, he was in front of Najika's door and was perplexed to find the door slightly ajar. Worried and hoping she was okay, he made his way quietly into the room, only for him to catch the tail-end of Mizuno Seiya's confession to Najika about his feelings for the other chef. Masahiko felt his hands clench, and he hid in the bathroom to not be caught and wait for Seiya to leave. Perhaps now would be the time for Najika to realize that she had a much more suitable suitor in front of her, than the man she'd originally attracted to her.
"I'm…flattered, Seiya-kun," Najika spoke softly. "And you are someone I admire and truly come to like. But the truth is –"
"You like someone else," Seiya interrupted quietly. "You like Kitazawa."
For a second, Masahiko froze up and thought the other might have figured out the truth and knew about Najika and himself.
"Actually, Daichi is just a good friend," Najika confessed, and that somewhat brought Masahiko's worries to rest. However, he was once again reminded that his other son did in fact have feelings for Najika, and he knew he'd be furious with Masahiko if he found out the truth.
Najika laughed lightly. "Truthfully…there is someone else I like. I…didn't think it would happen, or even thought of the possibility of this person before. The thought of this person romantically didn't just seem to not be a thought, but once it did, it just seemed a near impossibility. But now –now it's like a chasm has opened up and I'm falling and falling, and there's no end in sight. It's both exhilarating and terrifying."
Masahiko's heart seemed to skip a beat, and he knew she was talking about him. It seemed impossible and he never would have thought this was how she really felt about him, but here she was and he just wanted to come out and reveal himself, and tell her how much he felt the same.
"…I understand. It's a feeling that I feel the same towards you, and I am happy you've found it with someone. And honestly, I'm just glad it's not with another Kitazawa. All of them, they're just bad for you, Najika-chan. They're like a cancer, and I'm thankful you won't be trapped with them."
And Masahiko couldn't help but flinch at that. He wanted to yell at the boy, tell him that's not true. But, if he looked back –especially with his behavior –that it would be hard to refute that. Najika, for all intents and purposes, would be better off without him and his family.
Still, he couldn't help still being pleased by her admission towards how she felt towards him.
Once Seiya had left, he quietly came out and headed to where Najika was, and he saw her looking thoughtfully out the window. He cleared his throat and she turned to him in surprise. She was even more surprised to see that it was him there. But then her face turned faintly red.
"H-How long have you been here?" she stuttered.
"I didn't want to interrupt," he said sincerely. "But I heard everything."
He could see how embarrassed and shy she was about it all, so he didn't push her. He allowed her to avoid the topic, but he came closer and grasped onto her face, tilting it back as he leaned in and kissed her. Slowly, he touched his tongue between her lips, and she parted them easily. He took no time in curling his tongue around hers, letting her gently fight back against him. His hands slipped onto her shoulders, squeezing tenderly, before he let his hands wander further down.
They were gripping her hips firmly, and he wasn't shy in letting them slip under her shirt. His hands were fully splayed against her lower back, pressing his palms up against her skin. He pressed upwards, moving up her back and taking her shirt along for the ride. Once he'd had her shirt half removed from behind, he took a step back and helped her out of it. His eyes darkened as he saw her lithe body almost fully bare to him, and one of his hands drifted up to touch one of her breasts. Her sharp inhale had him smiling slightly, and he brushed his thumb against one of her nipples.
She, for once, stepped forward and pressed her body flushed against his. Her lips were unsure but unflinching as they touched his neck, and she brushed them a few times back and forth against his skin. His eyes fluttered close in pleasure, and he grabbed her waist and hoisted her up. She automatically wrapped her legs and arms around him, and he brought her to her bed. He lay her down, but before joining her, he took of his blazer and his belt and tossed them to the side.
Najika's soft hands flew to the button of his pants, just as he was to rejoin her on her bed, and she unbuttoned and unzipped it easily. His lips twitched up, matching her wry but amused smile, both of them thinking on how not too long ago, she was surer to shy away from doing such a thing. He kissed her again, relishing in her taste. And when he pulled back, he quickly tossed off his shoes, socks, pants, and underwear. His shirt was also quickly disposed of, and now the only thing left in the way was Najika's underwear and skirt.
He'd unbuttoned her skirt and helped her wiggle out of it, and her face flushed red at being simply in her underwear in front of him. He chuckled at her.
"How often have we been undressed in front of each other?" he asked wryly, grinning slightly.
"Often enough I shouldn't be so shy and embarrassed about it," her lips quirked up.
"That's probably not going to happen for a long while, is it?"
She laughed and sat up, unhooking her bra and tossing it towards the rest of their clothing. When he lay her back, he kissed one breast for a second, before flicking his tongue at it. He did it again, and then a few more times until he was swirling his tongue around and over the nub. He playfully nipped at it and then drew his lips around the nipple, widening his mouth around her breast to suck at it. Her gasps did little to calm him, and egged him on with his ministrations.
He moved his mouth to the other side, and mouthed it as well. He happily nuzzled it, before placing the flat of his tongue on the underside of her breast and licking up.
"M-Masahiko," she gasped out, and he used his hands to deftly spread her legs apart.
He shuffled up a little, and pressed his hardened shaft against the cotton of her panty. Rubbing up against it a little bit, he answered her whimpers with quick, wet kisses to her neck.
"Please!" she begged him, and he knew that he would stop toying with her shortly. He was close to tipping over the edge as well.
"Tell me what you want, Najika," he demanded roughly, his voice husky and just a bit needy.
Kami-sama, he was whipped by this woman.
"You," she cried. "I need you!"
He worked his hand between them, using his fingers to push aside her panty and slip his finger in. He countered her moans with each thrust of his finger into her, swirling it around after every few thrusts. After slipping in a second finger and stretching her more, he kissed her and murmured against her lips.
"I love you, Najika," he groaned against her.
Her eyes snapped open to look at him in surprise, but a particular thrust had her arching her back and screaming silently. Withdrawing his fingers, Masahiko took off her panty and tossed it with the rest, before aligning himself at her entrance. As they traded looks, she gave him a breathless, reassuring smile. Taking a deep breath, he began to inch himself into her.
Her familiar warm and tight cunt squeezed him, and he settled in completely. He didn't move yet, savoring the feel of her, but when she grasped onto his shoulders, he started to thrust into her. She tightened her legs around his waist, and he pulled her closer, nearly doubling her in half.
"Faster, faster," Najika shook her head, arching up into him more. "So close!"
He reached between them and pinched her clit, causing her to cry out. He sped up at the same time as he began to rub her out, and then she was cumming, her whole body shuddering with the release of her orgasm. Feeling her orgasm triggered his own, and the tightening of her pussy around him clinched it. He shot his load into her, moaning at the relief.
Bringing her limp body closer to him, he held her close and rubbed his lips against her head. She embraced him tightly as well, trying to catch her breath.
"I'll be cheering for you," he told her affectionately.
She brushed his hair back. "I would hope so. If, even after all that, you're still backing Seiya-kun, I think I may have to rethink our relationship," she lightly joked.
He laughed quietly, though his chest warmed up at her talking about 'their relationship.' It made him insanely happy to see her consider them in that way.
She looked at him in affection. Brushing his hair back, she mused upon his sleeping face. Feeling content and calm, Najika pondered on the night's events and the confessions made by them both. She wished she could've been more clearer to him, and to have actually confessed to him directly. Maybe…maybe when she got back, they could actually talk about the whole thing. Settle things clearly for real.
Kissing his forehead and calming him when he muttered something in sleep, Najika grabbed her paper that had her recipe for her rainbow cake. She made sure to write down a quick note, telling Masahiko where she was going. Then she was calling a cab, and getting ready to grab ingredients for her to use to practice with, hoping that she would really do well in this competition and do Masahiko proud.
"Can you turn the corner here?" Najika asked the driver, though she started feeling uneasy. "I think the store I'd like to go to is specifically around there. Thank you so much!"
She caught sight of the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie, and she remembered her parents. She wanted to make them proud as well, and hoped they were watching over her. She remembered, though, that that place was also where her parents had been heading to when they died…
Najika sighed and looked out her window, but her eyes widened as she saw the incoming car.
Her scream died in her throat as the car collided into the taxi, hitting her side of the vehicle violently.
Started 8/9/15 – Completed 8/10/15
A/n: Phew, it's been a long time, yeah? No matter what, I'll always go back to my pet fic XD At least there are the small group who do indeed enjoy this! Thank you for sticking with this, and I hope everyone continues to read and review (and especially review please)! I will further edit this later on, to get rid of the explicit content (I'm just lazy right now).
