Chapter 7
Warmth
~Spearmint
The next morning, a healthy shower of rain poured over the dry lands. Everyone was lethargic, languid and to call it simply, everyone was feeling lazy. The pitter patter of the rain on the roof and windows lulled the black cat to sleep as it perched on the window sill. Yzak was thankful he didn't have to go to the fields today and finally have extra hours for sleeping in. The harvesting of the vegetables yesterday zapped his energy more than just tilling the land. He had to carry the stupid woven baskets back and forth to the barn with manual labor and each one of the fifty baskets were all to be carried by him.
When someone knocked on his door, he groaned into his pillow. Trying to decide whether to ignore Shiho, or pretend to sleep and wait until she goes away. A minute passed and the knocking did not stop. Annoyed with the overly persistent woman, he dragged his blanket along with him as he approached the door.
"It's raining. I want to sleep in. I'm tired" Yzak decided for himself as Shiho pulled his sheets off of him and told him to change his clothes for breakfast.
"If you want to sleep in, finish all your chores first, then you can lounge all day if..."
There's an if, blimey... Yzak thought looking at Shiho's mouth, spouting words like learn, cooking and help her in sewing.
"Did you just say sew?" Yzak asked with a rising intonation.
"Yes, I did. Get dressed before our breakfast turns cold." Shiho returned his blanket and marched downstairs. Again her hair swaying side to side, just before she disappeared downstairs he caught a glint from the crystal rose hair tie.
"Babysitting, cooking, sewing... I wonder what mother placed in the letter. I hope it does not involve me being sold as a cross-dressing maid." Yzak shivered at his thoughts and shrugged off his black pajama top. Donning his lavender long sleeves and comfortable grey sweat pants, he was ready to spend his self proclaimed day off in the porch while watching the rain pour down all day and him sipping hot chocolate.
"YZAK! BREAKFAST!" Shiho hollered.
"Yeah! I'm coming down." Yzak replied, shutting his bedroom door.
*A*
"You're in charge of washing the dishes today." Shiho reminded him as she gathered the used and sticky plates.
"Fine but I'm going to sleep in after this, okay. You promised already!" Yzak quickly said before the brunette could react.
"I did not hear anything, Yzak. You're going to help me sew and that's final. After you finish washing those, come to the study." Shiho stated and went to start on her work for the day.
After the final dish had been washed and wiped dry, Yzak obediently trotted to the study. Opening the heavy red oak door, he saw a bolt of black cloth scattered on the floor and a basket of threads and yarns that lay on the red carpet of the study. The room was illuminated by the roaring hearth and the television.
Yzak rubbed his eyes and blinked repeatedly, making sure he was not hallucinating about a television. Approaching the red velvet couch, he sat beside Shiho and pointed at the television. "Is that what it looks like?"
"What do you mean?" Shiho asked the platinum blonde who looked dumbfounded.
"The television set." Yzak looked at her blankly.
"Yeah, do you want to watch a show or something?" Shiho gave him the remote control and continued sewing.
Yzak glared at the unaffected woman, he who thought that technology was forbidden in the countryside almost died of not having a cellphone, iPod, iTouch, computer, car and his other gadgets. Grabbing the remote control from Shiho's lap he intently looked at the screen and clicked from channel to channel.
They even have cable t.v.
Switching back and forth looking for a good channel he grabbed a padded chair and brought in front of the television.
"Who will be the next..."
Click.
"Just add a pinch of salt and pepper..."
Click.
"...they have finally reached a tie breaker..."
Click.
"...chirp chirp... The natural habitat..."
Click.
"The only different thing about the Ferrari's 6 horse power engine..."
The sound of the voice of the narrator droned in. Finally Yzak stopped changing the television channel. Seeing he was so occupied with watching near the television set, Shiho called his attention. "Yzak, sitting in front of the television, that close will damage your eyesight."
"Yes, mother." Yzak automatically replied as if he was programmed to it. Shiho was dumbstruck she laughed inwardly and called his attention again.
"Yzak, did you not hear me? Move away from the set."
"Mother, can't I watch my show in peace for heaven's sake!" Yzak met Shiho's eyes and he involuntary blushed, remembering what he said. Turning off the television to avoid further idiocy inflicted on himself, he joined Shiho in sewing.
"So what do I have to do?" Clearing his throat, the blushing platinum blonde sat back beside Shiho once again.
"I thought you were enjoying your show? Go on." Shiho bit her lip, suppressing a laugh.
"I wonder what's so funny." Yzak sarcastically muttered as he played with the bolt of cloth with his feet.
Looking down on his feet, as if they were the most interesting thing in the world, he felt Shiho pat his back. "I guess you miss your mom's scolding too." Yzak was going to retaliate viciously at Shiho if she continued to joke with him but he saw her eyes were now sincere.
"Let's not talk about that... Just teach me how to sew already so I can go to sleep." Yzak decided to let go of the topic and picked up the bolt of fabric.
"If you say so..."
The brunette now focused all her energy in teaching Yzak the basic stitches. Running stitches, even and uneven stitches as well as backstitches, everything was going well except Yzak kept on pricking his left middle finger each and every time he poked the fabric with his needle. A string of curse and bad words flowed out of Yzak which earned him a glare or a slap on the shoulder from Shiho.
"Bullshit!"
"Fuck!"
"Bitch! I don't want to do this anymore!" Throwing the fabric on the carpeted floor and sucking his thoroughly poked finger.
Shiho's patience finally snapped. "YZAK JOULE! Do you kiss your mother with that dirty mouth?"
Yzak was startled with Shiho's angry voice that caused him to press his palm on a pin cushion, filled with pins and needles. Another round of blasphemous words came out of Yzak's mouth.
"That's it. Your mouth needs rehabilitation. I don't know if Ren and Rin already got your profane language." Shiho got a paper from her father's table and asked Yzak to write down the every curse word he knew. Refusing to do what Shiho told him, he folded the paper into a paper plane and threw it towards the fireplace.
"Fine, I guess you are ashamed of those words if you don't want to write them down. Let's see..." Shiho now wrote the most prominently used offensive words by Yzak. "Now, look here," she pointed to the word Bullshit with her pen a long line of other words were queued, "If you want to say this word" pointing at the word again, "you have to say the word 'POO'." Shiho said with a straight face.
Yzak clutched his head and wrapped his other arm around his body. Shiho heard a wheezing sound from him. Trying to gain composure, the platinum blonde pinched his lips together and covered his mouth with his left hand, a blush forming on his cheeks, his eyes hidden by his silver bangs as his head was bowed.
Shiho heard a knock on the door. "Fine, be that way." Shiho threw the paper and pen at Yzak before leaving him at the study.
Idiot.
Shiho flushed and thought about what was wrong with what she said.
*A*
Arriving in front of the door, she peeked through the peep hole and saw Miriallia and a blonde tan boy. Opening the door quickly, Shiho saw that they were drenched. "Miri! You should have sent a message in advance!" Shiho pulled Miriallia inside and hugged her getting her clothes dampened.
"YZAK!?" A tandem of voices shouted as Shiho looked confusedly at Yzak who was languidly going out of the study.
"Miri! Don't tell me! You're having an affair with Yzak so you kept him here!" Dearka accusingly said as he pointed at Yzak, his eyes becoming teary. Miriallia mildly annoyed with her ever dramatic and idiotic boyfriend she gave him a healthy hit on the back of his head.
"I was shocked as well Dearka! You are such an idiot, sometimes I wonder why I put up with your nonsense." Miriallia sighed and looked at Shiho, asking in disbelief. "Shiho, why is that silver-capped volcano here at your house?"
"You mean him?" Shiho asked, gesturing her thumb at Yzak.
The drenched couple nodded in sync.
"He's undergoing rehabilitation." Shiho said in an uncaring voice, leaving the three to get dry towels for her best friend and her lover.
"Yzak , you never told me you were under drugs! Maybe that's why you were always snappy when I call you at 2 am in the morning." Dearka wrapped his arm around his torso and the other hand lay over his cheek as he wondered.
Yzak approached Dearka and clobbered him. Miriallia thanked him as she got a fresh dry towel from Shiho. "Dearka, you totally deserve that."
"Bu-bu-but! She said Yzak was undergoing rehabilitation, if he wasn't on drugs then my only conclusion on why Yzak is always angry is destroyed! Ruined! " Miriallia stared at him angrily and wanted to ignore him completely but she really wanted to say something or peace would never shine upon her. So she did the latter.
"Dearka, I think you need to go under rehab too. You hallucinate too much and daydream all day. I don't think that's healthy, I read this article before that if you stare and think of nothing for a long time, your brain cells die and mind you they don't replenish. And also for your information, Yzak is always angry because he has to deal with you all day."
"Well at least my hallucinations and day dreams are full of us getting happily married and having 12 beautiful daughters and sons!" the blonde dreamily said as he floated off into wonderland again.
Miriallia felt goosebumps rise all over her body. "If that was your long term plan with me, you better start searching for a new girlfriend, thank you very much. I'm not the mothering type."
Dearka turned paper white and dramatically fell on the floor and sobbed childishly, murmuring he'd rather die of hypothermia than receive a towel from Shiho so that Miriallia will realize how important he was to her and he was going to haunt Yzak and drive him to have dementia.
"I don't think you're gonna die that easily from being wet from the rain, mister." A little boy chimed in the conversation. He too was drenched together with his twin.
"Nee-chan, is it true that if you took a shower in the first rain of summer you can be invisible? Can you see us?" Rin asked as he ran around Shiho and Yzak and retrieved a towel then ran back to Ren to share the towel and wrap it around their shoulder like a cape as they pretended to be superheroes.
"Who told you that? I can see you perfectly. Now close the door and get away from the gusty wind! You might get sick. Come and we'll prepare a hot bath. Really, you two, I thought you were sleeping in!" Shiho concernedly ushered the twins.
"Dearka, you heard the kids. No one dies of rainwater. Stop the waterworks…" She gave him a reprimanding look. "And the theatrics…" She added.
The despairing blonde nodded his head under the damp towel and laughed. "Don't worry Miri, Yzak knows I love him, whatever shit or stunt he does. I was just kidding around since I missed him. Though I know it wasn't a funny joke. Sorry if I offended you." He patted the short haired brunette's petite and soft hand.
"I love you, Yzak Joule!" Dearka flashed a big white smile at Yzak. "See Miri, I love him but not as much as you, of course. You're my number 1."
"Now you remember I'm here. Go to hell." Yzak scowled at him, his brows furrowing as he left the two lovebirds. He never liked watching public displays or affections it never fails to make something bad in his stomach. The two never ceased to amaze him. Their power of isolating themselves from their company was incredible, it was as if they were talking about him and he wasn't there. Another thing was they were even more bipolar than him. They seriously need to find a psychologist before they completely lose it.
How exhausting.
*A*
The twins quickly stripped off their wet clothes and ran into the steam filled bathroom, happily squealing in delight thankful for the hot bath water. They were freezing but nothing beats being invincible.
"You two, wait for me before you start soaping okay? I'll just put these clothes in the drying room." Shiho picked up their wet scattered clothes.
"Okay!" The two chorused while flicking water at each other. Going out of the bathroom, she bumped into their frowning silver haired errand boy.
"What's the matter Yzak?"
"I just remembered how tiring it was keeping up with them." He sighed and stared at Shiho intensely, looking deeply into her clear amethyst eyes. He saw himself reflected in her eyes, looking distraught. He decided to let go of his irritation with Dearka and his hold on her gaze.
"I'll help the brats in taking a bath. You go and entertain your friend. I promise I won't drown them in the tub." With that, he closed the door and locked himself and the 2 children in the bathroom.
"Yzak! I better see them alive and kicking or else I'll drown you in the deep well! Did you hear me?" A roar from Yzak and a shower of laughter from the twins answered her. Feeling annoyed with herself for her unnecessary anxiety at the platinum-haired city boy she headed out to see her friend.
"I wonder where they went. They're not here." Shiho wondered as she found no one in the living room. She heard a door closing upstairs. "Miri! Are you upstairs?"
"Yeah! I'm sorry I wanted to ask permission but the blockhead kept pushing me to find a bathroom already. He said he felt he was going to catch a cold. We all know only idiots catch colds and I think he knows he's an idiot by birth." Miriallia skipped downstairs in a simple white blouse and jean shorts. In her arms were their wet clothes and towel.
"It's a good thing he isn't an easily offended person." Shiho pointed out, wondering how the blonde boy was able to handle the bashing he receives from Miriallia and Yzak. It must be very disheartening at times.
"I know. Remember what I told you before about the three kinds of idiots?" The journalist reminisced.
"I wouldn't forget that joke that literally made my whole week happy. I remember categorizing everyone in town! The first category is the person is just acting like an idiot, right?" Shiho knowingly smiled, feeling the child in her rise up.
"The second type is the idiot who knows that he is an idiot." Miriallia laughed.
"And the deadliest type is the third." Shiho mentioned, Miriallia nodded along as they both spoke in unison. "The idiot that doesn't even have the slightest clue that he is an idiot!" Peals of girlish laughter erupted from the brunettes.
"I missed you!"
"Me too, Miri me too… Let's dry these and sit down for hot chocolate in the study. I've started the fire in there." The short haired brunette followed her friend to the drying room all the while talking about how much she missed her and their sleepovers when they were younger.
After that they proceeded in the kitchen and prepared 6 cups of steaming hot chocolate with floating marshmallows for everyone.
*A*
"I wonder if Yzak was able to bathe the twins alright." Shiho said as they brought the cups to the study room. Miriallia thought she heard something wrong with her statement.
"Shiho, did you just say that Yzak bathe your brothers?" She asked while blinking owlishly at Shiho.
"I think I did say that. Is there something wrong with that?"
"Something wrong? I think that was utterly and disturbingly wrong." Miriallia said in a serious tone. Seeing Shiho with raised brows, she laughed boisterously and carefully placed the tray on the coffee table. She sat down beside Shiho and tried to contain her amazement. "Shiho, you should've heard yourself. Yzak Joule and kids don't get along. Most kids think Yzak eats children for breakfast. So I can't even imagine him taking care of kids."
"Oh, Miri, if you only knew. He sends and fetches them from school, cleans up after them and sometimes when he can't take watching the twins playing with toothpaste instead of brushing their teeth, he, himself brushes their teeth all the while bickering about cavities and tooth fairies." Shiho fairly remembered one night when she saw Ren happily grinning at Yzak while the said platinum blonde brushed the boy's teeth vigorously.
If only Miriallia's jaw could drop down on to the floor, so she opted to slap herself and pinch her friend. "Is that all true? Or were you only dreaming then Shiho? Because I am willing to bet this month's salary that Yzak…" Miriallia's words trailed off as Yzak entered the room clutching two pairs of pajamas in his hands and two naked boys ran around the room.
"definitely…" The brunette just had to stop talking to watch the scene unfold before her eyes. "hates kids."
"Rin! Ren! Stop making it hard for Yzak. I told you two might get colds! Do you want me to ground you two for one week?" Shiho menacingly said that the twins ran to Yzak to hide from their sister.
"You brats! After making me run after you, you two have the guts to come back and turn me into a shield? That's it clothe yourselves on your own." Yzak scowled and dumped their clothes on their heads and grabbed the remote control for the television and a cup of hot chocolate. The twins looked unmoved at his boiling temper and seemed to be immune.
The twins quickly dressed and grabbed the two smaller mugs and sat on each side of Yzak and quietly watched the car racing show with him.
"Hey! Miri! I was wondering where everyone went to!" Dearka cheerfully entered the room and sat beside Miriallia.
"Shiho, before I forget. This is Dearka Elsman, bedgrudingly, he is my boyfriend." Miriallia looked as if she was appalled and all of her energy was zapped because of the statement.
Yzak quickly glanced over his shoulder at the other three people occupying the room, secretly eavesdropping while pretending to watch the show.
"Great to finally meet the acclaimed Shiho Hahnenfuss! Miri's always, Shiho this and Shiho that whenever we go travelling. As his boyfriend, I promise to take care and love her forever, don't you worry!" He beamed at Shiho and shook her hand which she quickly pulled away and offered him a cup of hot chocolate.
"That's great then, Miri's lucky to have someone looking after her. She had always been an adventurous one." She gazed lovingly at her friend and genuine happiness showed in her eyes, happy that her best friend wasn't as lonely as she first imagined with her living in the city and practically away from home every day. "You were drenched a while ago, so here drink up. It'll warm you." She said with a small smile.
"Will do! I love hot chocolates with marshmallows, don't I Miri?" Dearka faced his lover who was currently staring at Yzak and the twins interact about cars and how perfect hot chocolate is for his rainy afternoons.
"Shiho, I'd have to say you have great genes. Your brothers were able to tame Yzak." The fascinated journalist whispered.
Dearka too was fascinated at the trio and quietly snuggled beside Miri while Shiho continued her sewing through the cosy afternoon.
-to be continued-
Thyme's Note: Hi everyone! Thank you for reading and reviewing I'm sorry if the story seems to have no story line or plot or endpoint in which you are wishing to have. I know it's kinda boring at times but do please bear with me because I'm still building up the characters and I just go along where my inspiration takes me also I don't believe in love at first sight then everyone quickly falls in love with no justification and goes happy ever after. I'm ranting but what the heck I hope you enjoy this chapter... Reviews are very much welcomed! Maybe you guys can suggest some scenes you'd want to happen since I have no plot yet in mind on how this story is going to end so more Shizak moments are gonna be witnessed, I guess. Love you all! :D