Greets and Salutes!
Sorry I've been away too long. I bet you all wanted to kill me after that cliffhanger, right? I make you wait for months for a new chapter and I go and leave you with THAT. I hope you're not too mad at me. I seem to have my head back in the game and can continue writing. Again, I love you all! Thank you for your support!
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A TOKEN OF AFFECTION
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08 -
"Reaction" [Riposte]
Katsuragi Haruka was naked and in bed with Hayasaka Yukinori.
"OH MY GOD!" Yako turned away, embarrassed and mortified. Betrayed and hurt beyond anything she had ever imagined—even her unrequited love for Neuro—Yako tore out of the room. Ignoring her mother frantically calling her name, Yako hurried down the hall, down the stairs and out the front door. She struggled with one sandal, tripping a bit in her haste to get away. But righting herself, she hurried off down the street and into the night.
She had no idea where she was going. She had no sense of time or distance, she just ran for what seemed the entire night. She couldn't feel her lungs for a while, but they finally protested going another step, burning until she slowed to lean against the first wall she acknowledged as solid.
Yako wanted to cry, but at the same time, she was too angry to do so. Furious, she pounded against the wall with her bare fists, not even caring if someone happened to be inside.
How could her Mom do this to her? Yako had been having the odd inkling that Haruka was holding out on her with something, had caught a couple of signs that she had something she didn't want known, but never suspected it was as terrible as this.
Haruka had never mentioned even looking for someone new. Who knew how long she must've kept her relationship with Yuki a secret. But looking back, Yako could recall those moments where something seemed out of place with her Mom. And there were the couple of times she happened to see Yuki around her neighborhood. When she came home, passing Yuki as he drove by—the incident at the coffee shop, she realized that Yuki was initially planning to leave his brother and Mutsuki-chan to sit with her Mother. There was even the occasional nod or glance during dinner, now that she looked back on it. It had always been there, she had just failed to see it.
Once her breath had come back, with more than a slightly painful wheeze to show for her run, Yako continued walking. But this time, she had a destination in mind—the nearest bar that came into view.
Which just so happened to be a quaint establishment settled on the edge of the beach. It was not dirty, or blaring loud music, or filled with drunken patrons. It was open to allow the night breeze in, with pleasantly happy music, with only a few people talking and drinking in good company. It wasn't what Yako had expected to find, but was content with it. It didn't really matter where she got drunk, after all.
Taking an available seat at the counter, Yako sighed with relief and disdain before waving to the bartender—a woman with dark hair held up with chopsticks and dark skin that was complimented by her purple bikini top and white shirt—and asking, "May I have a beer, please?"
"I'll need to see some ID," the woman said, skepticism coloring her tone and features. "How old are you?"
Yako had hoped that she looked old enough to bypass the necessary check. "I'll be twenty in a couple months…"
"Still a good year shy for anything hard at my bar, sweetness. Sorry." The woman did look genuinely apologetic, as well as a little concerned. "How about a root beer float instead?"
Yako was sure she was making fun of her and glared. But when the woman produced the necessary condiments for said beverage, the pale-haired teen perked up instantly. The bartender smiled brightly and set about making up a decent-sized root beer float.
"Not everyone who comes here drinks alcohol. It's good to hang out with your friends, even if you have different tastes," she told Yako, dropping three scoops of vanilla ice-cream into the pint-sized mug before pouring a cold root beer. "So, something bad happen?"
The young woman sighed, accepting the drink gratefully. "You want the watered down version or straight up?"
"Why be polite? Let's go straight up!" The bartender smiled, wiping down the bar.
"I just caught my mother in bed with a friend of mine."
"Ooohhh…" The woman was gracious enough to look a little pained. "…Is she still married?"
She shook her head, "No...My dad passed a few years ago."
"Sorry to hear that. Was it someone you're interested in?"
"What?! No! That's…" As awful as catching her Mom flagrante delicto with Yuki had been, the idea of her mom with Neuro was enough to make her feel ill. And as attractive as he was, Hayasaka Yukinori was not what Yako wanted in the least. Until a few minutes ago, she had him pegged as either asexual or gay. "No. No one I'm interested in, I just…I thought she would love my Dad forever…" Yako finally said, digging into the root beer float with only mild enthusiasm. It tasted like perfection, but she just couldn't enjoy it the way she desperately wanted to.
Her Mother had never told her she was even looking for someone new, let alone already dating. Thinking about it, Yako supposed that she had always believed that, even though her Dad was gone, her Mom would stay loyal to his memory. As far as she was concerned, there could never be anyone else she would ever call 'Dad' again. That piece of their family that had been so cruelly ripped out all those years ago could never be replaced.
"Well, everyone gets lonely," the woman told her. "It's not wrong to want to move on."
"I know, it's just..." She groaned, lying her head down on the bar, next her empty mug. "I don't know! I didn't see it coming! She never said anything! He never said anything! I mean, what the hell!"
"You called?"
Yako didn't raise her head, hardly in the mood to deal with this particular hell-born pain right now. "Go. Away."
The blue-clad Demon, rather than acquiescing, took a seat in the stool right beside hers. "I thought we could take the opportunity to speak properly. You're not expected back at the dinner table and should have enough free time for a civil conversation."
"Neuro, I am not in the mood. At all," Yako sighed, raising her head to rub the bridge of her nose. She could feel a headache coming on already. This evening had been far too eventful for Day 1 of her weekend getaway. She wasn't even sure she wanted to stay for more tomorrow, what with this lovely reveal of her Mother's. Without having to ask, Yako was served another root beer float. She would happily leave a fair-sized tip for this lovely woman and her kindness.
"You want anything?" The bartender asked Neuro, curiosity coloring her features. Whether at Neuro's appearance or the tension between him and Yako.
"I am fine, thank you all the same," the Demon replied evenly, his attention never leaving his human as she practically inhaled her own beverage. "Busy night for you, scallop?"
Yako didn't feel like answering as she dug into the two scoops of vanilla waiting at the bottom of her mug.
"Given that our earlier meeting was cut short, I thought we could continue now that we are alone," he went on. "Hitting me was rather rude of you. If you want to win an argument, you should keep up."
Still, no answer from the Human as she downed the melted ice-cream and motioned for another serving.
"At the very least, offer your own argument amidst the conflict, not during a retreat," Neuro sighed. "You insist that you want to equal to me, but you constantly leave so you can say you have the last word. Is that very fair?"
"Absolutely!" The barkeep declared, setting down the next root beer float. "You men can stand there and spew your hot air, but the fact that we women can make you crumble with the last word means that you have to keep up with us, handsome!"
Neuro blinked, somewhat confused that the woman had been listening. He thought these sort of establishments existed so that people could talk without anyone paying them any mind. Now that he stretched his attention, he found that a couple others, the men who helped run the bar, were watching him carefully without seeming too obvious.
"Can we take this discussion somewhere more private?"
"The girl is welcome to stay right where she is," the woman offered, wiping down the counter as she looked to Yako, confident and comforting.
Yako, meanwhile, had finished her beverage and pulled out her wallet to pay. In all honesty, Yako didn't want anyone to get hurt trying to pick a fight with Neuro. She would always be grateful to them for wanting to help, but knew better than to settle this with anyone else involved.
"I probably should be heading back," she smiled as she stood up. "Thanks for everything."
Stepping back outside, the sea breeze revived her somewhat. She was still phenomenally unhappy, but she felt a bit more aware than before. Yako started off down the beach, not needing to look back to know her Demon was following close behind.
"Okay, we're alone," she sighed, looking out at the water. "What is it now?"
Neuro was somewhat irked that his Human found the dreary ocean more worthy of her attention that he was, but allowed it to pass for the moment. Bearing with her careless attitude, and ignoring the mild pain in his cheek, he slipped around to stand in from of her.
"Why is it that we are constantly starting and ending at the exact same place over this issue?" He inquired, honestly curious and confused. "Why have neither of us been able to gain any ground over the other? Why hasn't one side been able to prove their reasons are more formidable and the other's clearly more feeble?"
"What you mean to say is, why haven't you been able to wear me down yet? Why have I caved for everything else, and not this?" Yako scoffed. She'd finally had enough. Better to just get this over and done with. "Easy. You don't want a wife, you want a servant. I don't want a master, I want a husband. You want a ticket to stay topside, and marrying me is the logical choice to make that happen. I want you to marry me because I mean something to you, not because I'm part of some deal."
Neuro could accept the blunt truth of her answer.
"I'm your first option, mainly because you've never looked for anyone else," she went on. "You've never cared to let your gaze wander to actually see anything. Furthermore, I'm one of the few that knows what you really are. It makes sense that I'm your best choice in these circumstances."
He didn't deny it. Nor did he bother to explain how mentioning his interest in her among the Demon Court had caused such a commotion. Dare he even try to explain? He saw no reason to. She didn't need to know more than what she did.
Yako seemed to sense that he was holding back, and finally turned to face him properly. "You'll live for a long time; longer than any Human, right?"
"I assume so," Neuro shrugged. Considering his Father had already lived far longer than most of the elder Demons, it wasn't farfetched.
"Then when I die, you'll have plenty of time to forget about me."
This statement brought the Brain-Eater to a screeching halt. If he was completely honest, Nougami Neuro had never truly considered the inevitable death of his Human. Even when he had returned to Hell, he was confident he would find her again, no matter how much time had passed between their worlds. The knowledge that he would likely outlive Yako was a simple tidbit of knowledge, so obvious, he had actually overlooked it entirely. His thoughts, while capable of devising great plans and unraveling impossible Puzzles, were always in the moment. Everything that was Now was what mattered; 'Before' and 'After' were not relevant unless they attributed to whatever goal he was looking to reach.
But now…
"Wouldn't it make more sense to marry someone who you could actually spend the rest of your life with?" Yako went on. "Or…were you just intending to stick it out for however long I—however long your spouse is alive and then just move on to the next one?"
Neuro didn't answer immediately. It was somewhat embarrassing. But he was stuck on the notion of her eventual passing, and just how much he didn't like it. That Yako should slip away, taken by time and age…it irked him more than anything else thus far. The main in his cheek became more prominent, but still he found himself left speechless.
"Whatever," his Human sighed, lonely and dejected. She set her sights on the path leading back up the sand and towards the street. "I'm tired. I'm going back to the lodge."
Having hardly said anything, Neuro couldn't let her go with that. Not now. Not after she had gotten the last word before. Not after the obvious epiphany of her own mortality. Not after everything else that could ever happen.
Appearing in front of her with barely a breeze, he cut off her advance up the hill. "Suppose you were the only one I wanted, for more complicated reasons… Yako, would you be willing to listen?"
This made Yako honestly stop, not just halt. Neuro had asked her to listen. He had not told her to listen. That was enough to stall her for a little bit. "If you were going to be honest," she answered, honestly curious. "What other reasons would you need me specifically?"
The Demon seemed to consider his words carefully—there were certain things he had always known, and others that hadn't been explained until moments before he had left Hell for the second time. By his Father. By the oldest members of the Court, who were witness the Emperor's courting of his bride. Glancing up at the night sky, taking in the stars for a brief moment, he gradually found the proper order to his words looked directly at the young human woman upon finding the right way to explain.
"I've mentioned before that I am an Imperial Demon, I am born of the highest nobility," he said coolly. "Noble bloodlines don't dally, nor do they flirt or play games that would risk resulting in offspring—unless that's just the nature, but even so, they are carefully looked after. This is not only because most noble families have to remain in check. In the case of my family in particular, such urges don't exist for us."
Yako blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Quite simply, we don't feel compelled to seek out physical pleasure. We are not affected by the baser needs of the flesh," Neuro said. "I understand the basic mechanics of it, but we feel no compulsions. In the case of many demons, they can decided who they want depending on their own preferences and such. Though it was hinted that I would meet a fate worse than death if I fooled around, and many feared what could come from any union with me… It is only when certain conditions are met and something…'clicks' do those of my bloodline pursue a mate."
His Human's eyes widened at that, as though seeing him for the first time, which seemed to draw her more to him and he wasn't obliged to let her slip away.
"The fact that I am attracted to you is no mere convenience, Yako," he went on. "While it is certainly beneficial that you were the first creature I met upon entering this world and that I have managed to keep you so close, even the mildest…stirrings…" he had no other word for it, "…are not something to be taken lightly in my case. My Father never felt any inklings to so much as even touch another person before my Mother. As such, when I mentioned you back home, it was deemed vital that you were made secure. Because the likelihood of my being…moved…by another was too slim to risk losing you."
For a long while, only the sound of the water washing against the sand filled the air between them. Neuro waited in a rare show of patience for Yako to fully comprehend everything he had said. Yako could barely believe that such severe circumstances surrounded Neuro's choice of a spouse.
"How…how many other demons are there like you?" She finally asked.
"Only my Father," he sighed. "He was the only one of his kind for ages. When I came along, it was apparently quite a shock. We're the rarest of the rare, you could say."
Yako considered this. "So it's also a matter of preserving your family. Y0ur breed of demon. Is that it?"
"Among other things, but that is why…" Neuro paused, "…but You are why I was allowed to come back here again."
Yako wondered if she should be amazed, even flattered, to be considered so important. She supposed she should be grateful that Neuro hadn't just carted her off, like his father had done with his mother. She wondered how that woman—goddess, she remembered—must have felt when faced with this knowledge. Had that woman ever been told?
"And you're serious about this?"
"I am," the Brain-Eater replied evenly. He hadn't wanted to tell her, but as things stood, keeping this from her would only cause more harm than good. What should have been a very simple transaction had become a complete mess. He had to admit to a few things if he was to fix this.
This was a new reason to sway her resolve. Even if it wasn't the one she really wanted, Yako knew that this was important beyond her own feelings. More than that, Neuro had finally told her honestly. She looked back at the dark water, seeking some sort of response. What could really be said?
"Can I sleep on this?" Yako finally asked, sighing and rubbing her temples. "I'm really tired and I need to think about this with a clear head. Can we talk more tomorrow?"
Neuro saw no reason why not. "That's reasonable."
"Okay. Good night, Neuro."
The Demon dismissed her with a bored wave, and Yako continued towards the street. Once out of sight, she allowed herself a heavy sigh that dropped her shoulders with the weight of everything she had just learned. It was just too heavy to deal with tonight.
She only felt more exhausted upon entering the yellow glow of the lodge once again. Before, the establishment had offered some sort of relief from the troubles she had been facing. Now, she was far from relieved. There was too much to deal with, and no escape was in sight.
"There you are!" Kanae jumped up, dropping her magazine upon Yako's entrance. "I was starting to worry! Haruka-san called my cell, sounding panicked, but told me to stay put! What happened? Where'd you go?"
Yako shook her head. "I went for a walk. Came back."
"But what happened?" Kanae urged. "Was it your guy again? Was he harassing you?"
Yako considered her short walk with her Demon, and found she could honestly say he hadn't harassed her at all. "No. It's not him. I'm really tired and just want to go to sleep."
"You should called your Mom, she's probably out looking for you," her friend said.
Thinking about it, she really didn't want to talk to her mother just yet. She didn't know what she would say, she was still hurting and burning on the inside. A small part of her wanted to let Haruka worry all night, but thought better of it. It wouldn't fix anything.
Yako sent a quick text message, simply saying, {I'm back at the lodge.}
She changed into her pajamas, pulled out her futon and laid down to sleep. Out of some consideration, despite her mounting confusion, Kanae dimmed the lights.
Yako heard her mother come back, but didn't move to acknowledge her.
Haruka didn't try to wake her, and finally, she also set herself up to go lie down to sleep.
Kanae had no choice but to join them, in the end. But the redhead had to wonder why she was placed between the mother and daughter in the sleeping arrangements.
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His cheek still hurt.
Human darkness did nothing to impair Neuro's sight, and upon settling into the uncomfortable bed he stared at the ceiling and counted all the cracks in the plaster out of sheer boredom. He had obtained his three hours of necessary sleep during the trip here, and could have spent the rest of the evening tossing Godai about. But sparing a glance to the man lying passed out on the floor, the Demon found enthusiasm or interest in the idea lacking.
His cheek still hurt.
Supposing that their conversation managed to get through to her, he had a better chance now of winning her.
He hadn't wanted to tell her. Like Otto had said, if she didn't know how vital she was, she couldn't hold it over his head. But more than that—as demeaning as it was to admit this to himself—as much as he needed her, he didn't want anything between them to change. They would be named husband and wife, but that could simply be a label. Nothing else between them had to change. He could stay up here and he wouldn't have to take Yako down there. That would have been enough for him.
His cheek still hurt.
Why did it still hurt? Why did it hurt at all? There was no bruising, or break in his skin. Likely, Yako had hurt her hand more than causing him any real harm from her slap. So why did it still hurt?
In the end, Neuro decided to stop thinking about it, even as he found himself running his fingers across his white skin. It was several hours to go before the sun came up. And he felt strangely obliged to wait patiently.
His cheek still hurt.
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Morning came and went. Breakfast had been a brief, quiet, awkward affair. And still, no one had offered any explanation!
Having slept the whole night, Yako was rested and recovered enough to find the strength to be angry again. Though they shared breakfast, she never met her mother's eyes. Yako felt a little bad, because she knew how uncomfortable Kanae must have been throughout the whole thing. But there was nothing she could say. There was nothing she wanted to say. Yako deserved a real explanation, so she waited. In the end, Haruka offered no explanation or small talk at all. After breakfast, they settled in various corners of the room and said nothing.
"Yako-chan! Yako-chan!"
Kanae finally managed to break her friend's reverie. The pale-haired girl had been staring at an open magazine, on the same page for almost twenty minutes. The poor redhead had no idea what had occurred between Yako's leaving the restaurant and her return to completely drain her, much less how it involved Haruka-san, but she was not about to let it last longer than one night.
"We've all been inside all morning, let's go do something already!" She draped across her friend's lap dramatically. "I'm so bored! Let's go to the spa!"
Yako at last accepted how unfair she was being to Kanae. This weekend was supposed to be a chance for them to have some fun together. Instead, she had been a complete stick in the mud and taken out her frustrations on her friend.
"You're right. Let's go," she agreed, closing the useless magazine and leaving it on the floor.
"Haruka-san, you're coming, too!" Kanae smiled to the dark-haired mother seated at the table.
She didn't answer right away. Glancing at Yako, who said nothing, she seemed conflicted at the thought of going.
And as much as she wanted to stay mad, Yako felt a little bad.
"We did come here to relax, didn't we?" Yako offered flatly. "It's kind of pointless if you don't come along."
Haruka blinked, then managed a smile and left her own useless newspaper to follow after the girls.
The spa was nice. Traditional, like the lodge, but with a few more modern luxuries. For the most part, it was comfortably detached from the world.
The ladies were content to start with a nice soak in the herbal bath. The whole time, silent.
Then the sauna. Still silent.
Kanae was ready to hit something around the time they were walking to get a massage. All three wrapped in fluffy bathrobes and slippers, she caught her friend and her mom to bring them to a sudden halt. "Alright! Whatever happened last night, will somebody just say something, AND GET OVER IT?"
Mother and Daughter looked to each other, hesitantly. It wasn't right to ignore what had happened, but it wasn't exactly easy to discuss, either. What could they even say? How do you 'get over' seeing your mom in bed with a guy?
Deciding her friend was right, just the same, Yako decided to bite the bullet and get it out in the open. "Why were you in bed with him? When did you even decide to start dating again? And why didn't you tell me?"
Haruka's bath-warmed skin flushed a vibrant red and she hastily hid her face in her hands to avoid her daughter's stern gaze, and her friend's stare.
Kanae was visibly shocked at the news, her dark eyes going as wide as saucers, but said nothing in favor of watching it all to unfold as it needed to. When nothing more seemed to be coming, she easily decided to excuse herself. "I'll go on ahead. Let me know when you guys are ready."
Mother and daughter were left in tense silence at Kanae's departure. The latter waiting for a good answer, the first searching for an honest explanation.
"Just how long has it been going on?" Yako prompted, folding her arms across her chest irritably. This was hardly intimidating, given how big and fluffy her robe was, but she was losing patience with her mom's silence.
"…Several months," Haruka offer lamely. "We started going out a couple weeks after they came to the house that first time. Usually just a cup of coffee or lunch."
"When did you start sleeping with him?"
Her mom's blush returned full force. "About…four months ago…"
Yako bristled at that. Dating, coffee or lunch was one thing to get away with for that long. Sexual encounters were a whole other ball game. For both Haruka and Yuki—who came often enough for business—to keep it from her just served to make her even more furious.
"Do you love him?"
"…Yes," Haruka smiled contentedly.
Yako hated it. She never thought she could ever despise such a contented look as much as she did at that moment.
"More than daddy?"
The woman jerked, hurt evident in her dark eyes. "Yako, that's not fair!"
"Neither is sneaking around behind my back, lying to me and sleeping around with some jerk!" She finally exploded, calling a few curious and concerned glances, but not caring. "What? Did you think not saying anything would be easier? Did you think I didn't need to know that you'd gotten over dad, forgotten all about him and moved on? Did you think I'm so stupid that it wouldn't make a difference to me? Was it just fun to fool me all this time?"
Haruka had no real answer for that. As angry as Yako's accusations made her, she still made a good case against her. All the woman found she could say was a very solid declaration:
"He makes me happy, Yako."
And somehow, that just made it hurt more.
"More than Dad ever did?" Yako demanded, feeling hot tears prick at her eyes and blur her vision. "More than I do? Do you love Yuki more than me?"
In the end, she didn't even wait to hear the answer, honestly worried what it might be. So she turned and ran back the way they had come, without looking back at her stunned mother. Yako returned to the changing room, tearing off her robe to pull her clothes back on. Hardly coordinated, and most likely slovenly dressed, Yako stepped back out into the bright daylight. Pulling on her sunglasses to hide from the sun, as well as her flowing tears, she started walking. She hated that all she could ever do was run away like this.
Rather quickly, she settled down on the nearest empty beach. Crossing the sand before slipping off her sandals to walk along the water's edge. After pacing back and forth, finally letting herself cry, Yako gradually ran out of steam and sat down. Letting the wave wash up and down, across her legs while a gentle wind caressed her hair, she felt her anger die down just enough to feel bad about everything she had said. But she stubbornly refused to feel a deep guilt over it. She had only spoken the truth.
She knew her mom had also told her truly, but decided it was too little too late. Several months? How could this have been going on that long without either Haruka or Yukinori saying a single word about it?
Yako had no clue how anything had even started between them. Her mom was as straight as an arrow, while the younger Hayasaka brother followed whatever whim their dealings required. What could even stand between them that they lasted several months?
"Detective?"
The deep, husky voice was honestly the farthest from her mind. But Yako managed to collect herself enough to look up and meet Hayasaka Hisanori's shaded gaze.
"Are you alright?" He asked, concern coloring his tone and smile.
"Define 'alright'," Yako scoffed, sniffing and hiccupping. "If you mean feeling 'totally miserable', 'betrayed', 'insecure of what I'm supposed to do now', I'm just dandy. Thanks for asking."
The black-clad man stepped around her to settle on a nearby stone, so as not to mess up his suit. "Yeah, I guess that's to be expected after last night. I was worried when we couldn't find you right away. Did you make it back okay?"
Rather than answer him, Yako fixed him with a hard glare. "Did you know about my mom and your brother being together?"
Hisanori sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yes. I did know they had started something. I didn't really know how serious they were until last night. After that lovely reveal, I think I saw more than I needed to."
Not sharing in his dry chuckle, Yako cast her brown gaze to the ocean waves again. Calm, steady, always changing and always the same. She resolved then and there that life royally sucked.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, tired and angry. "Were you just getting a good laugh at knowing something I didn't?"
"Don't take it like that, Detective," the man told her. "Haruka-san wanted to tell you herself."
"I know that's a fat lie," Yako snapped. "She had no clue what to say to me. She hardly answered any of my questions. She wasn't planning on telling me anything at all! Ever! So don't you dare tell me she wanted to tell me herself, because that's a load of bull crap!"
Her tears started again, and silence fell between them as she buried her face in her knees.
She heard him move, and expected him to leave. Yako didn't anticipate Hisanori actually sitting down beside her, disregarding the pale sand that would cling to his black clothes. She certainly didn't expect him to reach out and pat her head, as gently as he did with Mutsuki. It almost reminded Yako of her dad, and she felt her anger burn low under the heartache.
"I'm sorry. I should have told you, you're right," he sighed. "I'm sure Haruka-san did mean to tell you, she just wasn't prepared for what happened last night. I doubt she managed to get her bearings straight in time to answer you." He suddenly chuckled, to sound traveling from him to Yako in a comforting rumble. "If it makes you feel any better, Yuki hasn't been able to look me in the eye since last night. He just shrinks in on himself and mumbles and hurries with getting ready to go. He even blushes. In all my years, I have never seen that boy blush before now! It's incredible!"
Yako might have laughed, if she didn't feel so insignificant. She felt small, weak and empty. Downright pathetic. She had almost hoped that the trip to the spa would make her feel better, but honestly knew better than to believe it. As justified as she felt in her outburst, she hated being angry at her mom. She hated that she had hurt her. But she hated the idea of apologizing even more.
"So you're leaving?" She sighed at last.
"Our business is finished here. If you want to borrow the house for the rest of your vacation…" His offer trailed off at Yako's firm shake of the head. He knew she would refuse, but had hoped to get her out of her bad mood at least a little bit. He hadn't even—
"Oh, yeah! I never got your opinion night. I hoped to catch you before we left. Where is it?" Hisanori rifled through his pockets, even feeling around his gun holster before finding what he sought in the inner pocket of his coat. It was a small, black velvet box, clearly meant to hold small jewelry—like a pair of earrings or a ring.
Quirking one eyebrow, Yako waited in tired curiosity as the man opened it to show a small, silver ring. "It's…very nice."
"It's for Mutuski," he told her. He accepted the shocked trepidation on her face in stride. "It's a promise ring. Someday, if we haven't drifted apart, if she hasn't decided to move on to someone better for her, I intend to marry her one day."
Yako remembered Hisanori telling her the night before that he didn't want things left as they were, but honestly hadn't expected this. The ring wasn't cheaply made, nor was it extravagant or gaudy. It was simple and clean, practical and perfect for Mutstuki. Hayasaka Hisanori did not give his word lightly, so Yako knew full well the weight the silver band truly carried.
"I see…"
"Do I earn your approval?" The man grinned.
Blinking, she asked, "Do you need my approval for anything you do?"
"Probably not. But I want to know I have it, just the same," Hisanori replied evenly, snapping the box closed.
Yako looked over his face, just searching for a trace of humor or any white lie. But as always when it involved Mutsuki, there was no trace of malice or fiction. He was totally and completely serious in his intent. Maybe they might drift apart, maybe Mutsuki would someday outgrow Hisanori, or something. But at that moment, the man was prepared to offer the girl a life together. And Yako knew Mutsuki would accept it, come what may.
"I think Mutsuki-chan will be happy with it," she finally said. "So you'd better make it a good deal, Hisanori-san. Don't make her unhappy."
His ever-present smile actually seemed to stretch a bit further at her words. "Thank you, Miss Detective."
And with that, he stood up, dusting the sand from his backside as he returned the ringbox to his coat pocket, and headed across the beach with only a casual wave of farewell.
Yako was left alone again, and after the man had gone beyond the sand, her tears came back, as her mother's words suddenly rang in her ears.
"He makes me happy, Yako."
It hurt. Not just because of the initial feedback—that Yako and her father had become second-rate—but because she couldn't say the same about the Demon she loved.
Neuro didn't make her happy. He hurt her, physically and emotionally, all the time. Even if she accepted that he needed her for more than just a meal ticket, he still hadn't thought her important enough to tell the truth to from the start, either. She was still just a doll to him. Plain and simple.
Yako wondered, given what she now knew about his choosing her, if he could ever put her ahead of himself in any way at all. He wanted nothing from her but her compliance, could that be enough incentive for him to at least try? She wondered, well and truly: Was Nougami Neuro even capable of making her happy? Could he look past his own wants to see to her needs? If given the smallest chances, could he make Yako happy?
She wanted him to. She loved him, after all. Of course Yako wanted Neuro to make her happy.
All at once, her thoughts cleared. She stopped crying. She stopped trembling.
Taking a few shaky breaths until her lungs calmed, Yako looked around for whatever surveillance bug Neuro had charged with following her. Even though she found nothing, she knew something was always nearby. She had started to notice them after a while, and even played with a couple at her desk back at the agency, to the Brain-Eater's befuddlement. Recently, her Demon seemed to be more careful with his bug scouts; for whatever reason, they had become more covert. She had briefly wondered if he had taken them back, but had accepted that he wouldn't likely leave her unattended too long. The fact she had found one yester was a testament to that.
"Neuro."
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Yuki finished loading his and his brother's luggage into their boat with no trouble, only to turn around and meet the Cheshire-cat grin of a particular monster standing right behind him.
Though he managed to stay out of the water, Yuki was ashamed to have actually jumped back with a shout of mild terror at the creature's close proximity. But the snowy-haired man quickly collected himself, glaring through his shades at their unwelcome guest. "Yes? What do you want?"
Neuro actually laughed. "Merely to congratulate you on a job well done! Yako had no idea you and her mother were involved! And to walk in on such a display really wrapped the whole thing up rather nicely, wouldn't you say?"
Yuki would deny having blushed, if anyone bothered to ask. "Yako…actually told you about…that?"
"Not at all! I had no idea that was what she was so upset about last night," the Demon shrugged. "One of my bugs recorded the incident and relayed it to me this morning, and I just had to come and say something. The whole incident was rather colorful! In all honesty, I should applaud you for your fortitude in keeping your relationship under wraps for so long."
Neuro took great delight in the man's obvious discomfort and humiliation. But at the same time, he knew he shouldn't torment him too much if he wanted him to explain a few things.
"Why are you with Haruka, if I may ask?" Neuro went on. "I must admit, I can't see where any lines connect between you two. How did anything start at all?"
Yukinori straightened his shades as he gathered his thoughts, knowing he couldn't really hide his embarrassment in the least. But at the same time he wondered why the monster would ask him about it at all. It wasn't usually his place in the scheme of things. "The Assistant watches the outside; the Detective watches the inside," Godai had once told him. So what caused Neuro to take interest so suddenly?
"I'll admit, it's not like Haruka-san and I share many hobbies," he sighed. "And it's not that I set out with the intent of getting involved with her. I just…" He looked out at the water as it beat against the pier. "We met often enough, on and off the clock. Each time, I just felt…good around her. I didn't think I could like someone the way I like her, so it went at its own pace."
"And the natural urges of the human body had only so much to do with your relationship?" Neuro grinned. "Can you honestly tell me you don't enjoy this just because of the physical pleasure you get from her?"
The younger Hayasaka thought about keeping the honest answer to himself—He didn't owe the beast anything!—but something about Neuro's interest once again urged him to speak truthfully.
"I love her…" he coughed, mildly embarrassed. "So I don't think it's wrong to…be with her any way I can, if it makes us both happy."
Yuki waited for some joke or condescending retort, but none came. After a while, he dared to meet Neuro's gaze, and was floored by the honest insecurity and lack of comprehension he found upon the monster's pale face. Like a little kid that didn't understand something an adult had tried to explain. Yuki wondered if he shouldn't feel somewhat proud at apparently stumping the brilliant creature at all.
He was given no time, however, as Neuro's emerald orbs shot away to something Yuki couldn't see.
"Yako's calling me."
Was all he said, sounding almost amazed. Smiling with delight, Neuro walked away and turned at the corner of the house without another word.
However she might feel about him now, Hayasaka Yukinori once again found himself wishing Yako luck with her beast of an assistant.
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Yako didn't actually have to wait long. Neuro appeared beside her in less than a minute of her speaking his name, still looking out of place in his suit, gloves and boots.
"Have you given everything more than a second's thought?" The Brain-Eater smiled. He wouldn't admit to—or even explain—the pleasure he felt when he heard her call his name. It warranted looking into at another time, but for now he was interested in hearing a revised answer to his request of marriage.
Naturally, he was surprised at the question that emerged from Yako's mouth, instead of the single word of compliance:
"Can you make me happy, Neuro?"
Her Demon seemed confused at this inquiry, but Yako waited for his answer, just the same. She was ready to face this properly now. It didn't stop her heart from pounding anxiously in her rib cage, but she was clear-headed enough to know she couldn't leave things like this any longer. She was prepared to plow ahead now.
"I imagine that I am fully capable of giving you a comfortable life. I am somewhat limited by the vernacular of this world, but I'm sure that I could acquire whatever you needed, if you deemed it necessary."
Yako shook her wheat-gold head. "No, I'm not talking about luxury or comfort. I am asking if you, 'Brain-Eater' Neuro, can make me happy as your wife."
Blinking, he refused to voice his confusion. Nonetheless, his Human noticed it and met his gaze squarely.
"A person can learn to be comfortable in whatever circumstances they're left in, but never be happy," she told him. "A dog can be comfortable living indoors or outside, but can be happy no matter what so long as someone is there to love them. So no matter what you might do, good or bad, can I trust you to make me happy?"
Neuro thought about it. Knowing what he knew about Yako, he knew what it took to make her unhappy—his teasing and torture was a regular testimony to that—so he believed he was capable of doing the reverse. "I believe that I can, if need be."
"If need be," Yako sighed, not entirely pleased with his answer. But at least he was willing to put forth an effort. "Can I expect better treatment as your 'wife' than I've been given as your 'partner'?"
"I'm willing to make adjustments," the Demon admitted, liking where the conversation was turning. She might finally be giving in. In which case, he was willing to shift gears to catch her.
"Being a partner should be different from being a servant," Yako went on, standing up and dusting the sand from her butt. "But more than that, being a wife should be different from being a partner. Both deserve a certain amount of respect, but more than that, I would want more consideration and kindness from you if I was to marry you."
Neuro smiled, genuinely pleased, despite the burning pain that flared up in his cheek. "That sounds fair. We'll have plenty of time to plan things properly once we return home. Then—"
"Hold your horses, hell-spawn," Yako said, throwing her hand out in front of his face to silence him. "I never said I accepted your proposal. Like I promised, I have been considering it."
Neuro's dark mood returned, his smile dropping out of sight. "Oh? And just what have you considered thus far, slug?"
"Ooh, name calling. Glad to see I've got your attention now," his Human actually smirked. He considered throwing her in the water for her insolence, but decided to let her plead her case first. "I've considered that I want you to actually invest in whatever life we would have together. I want proof that things between us would actually change for the better. You want me to marry you? You want me to believe that you deserve to be my husband?" Yako reached out to jab her index finger against his ribs in punctuation of her next words. "Prove it! Earn it! Give me something that proves you are serious about me spending the rest of my life with you."
While Neuro was mildly startled as well as annoyed that so many people—namely human women!—had taken to attacking his ribs so much lately. He easily brought up a haughty grin to cover it. "I didn't honestly peg you as the materialistic type, bread crust."
"Materialism has nothing to do with this!" Yako declared sharply. "I'm not asking for something extravagant, or big, or incredibly rare. What I'm asking for doesn't even have to be physical. What I want from you, Nougami Neuro, is proof that you will be committed to me." She paced back and forth in front of him, happy for the mild distraction and breeze movement allowed. "I won't live as long as you will. I'll be spending the rest of my life with you, even if you won't be spending the rest of yours with me…"
Again, Neuro felt that unpleasant itch at the prospect or living without her. Had she been looking, his Human might have seen the barest twitch and lowering of his eyebrows in discomfort.
"But!" Yako stopped pacing, suddenly looking him right in the eye with a fire in her gaze. "I will not be a bump in the road! I will not be a rock you toss around or use as a paperweight or forget about when it suits you. I may have been willing to put up with your carefree attitude before as your cover—I had to, it was the way it had to be—but coming from my husband, I won't accept it!"
Neuro considered this new challenge. Her refusal was always stern, as was the declaration of her feelings for him. All he could do was stay on the offensive to try and break her barriers until she relented. Otto's lovely interference allowed only for new defenses to go up between them. But her challenging him to fulfill a task to win her hand, like the ancient stories he knew existed in both his world and this one, allowed some level of gameplay between them. It was oddly enticing.
She sighed, a little breathless, but not quite finished. "I know that you can't love me the way a human man could. It's not in your nature, it's beyond your understanding—" This time, Yako saw his barely-there twitch and wanted to smile, but couldn't, "—but I need to know that you'll be there for me. I want a man who will consider my wants and needs as a priority, not a side note. I want you to make me happy, Neuro. If you can't prove that you're willing to go that far for me, as a husband should, I won't accept you. Ever."
Grinning, the demon nodded eagerly. Competition was something he was willing to indulge. And somehow, facing off against Yako made it all the more enticing. "How shall we play this out, then? Do I have a time limit? Or a certain number of tries? What will I have to do should I fail?"
Yako thought about it a moment. "A year. From today to this same date, one year from now. And…I guess I'll give you seven chances. And you're not allowed to joke—I want you to take this seriously. If you give me so much as a breath of poisoned air, I'm calling it quits. If you can't provide me with some proof of your reliability, some token of your affections you can never ask me again. We will remain business partners and you'll have to look somewhere else for a wife. Instincts and bloodlines be damned. Got it?"
"And in the meantime?" He inquired. "While we may not be husband and wife, I would say we are more than business partners. If I may ask, am I still allowed to touch you without you pitching furniture at me?"
His Human thought about it a moment, even as she felt herself start to blush. If she was being honest, she wouldn't mind sharing something more with Neuro. She wanted to be closer to him, to honestly enjoy his company like any woman would with the man she loved. And, it seemed, he wanted something more, too.
"We're dating…" She finally admitted. "I suppose that would be enough to allow for some sort of intimacy. Lots of people date before getting married. Lots of people date and never get married."
Neuro smiled, and even though he showed all of his inhuman teeth, he looked bright and happy at the challenge laid out before him. "Very well, then, Katsuragi Yako," he offered his hand, "I accept your terms."
Yako placed her hand in his, his spider-leg fingers closing around her, and they shook on the wager.
"And with that, I hope you won't be too disappointed if I leave you now," Neuro suddenly turned and walked away. "I have some work ahead of me, and I'll trust that you won't dally with any unworthy male prospects whilst I am away."
Yako scoffed, "As if!" '…As if anyone could compare to you!' "Have some confidence in me, for mercy's sake! I doubt I'll find anyone even half as bad as you anywhere, let alone here!"
This seemed to please the Demon—though Yako couldn't see his face, she had the odd sense he was preening. "I will see you back at the office," he waved back idly turning to leave and find Godai.
But the painful twinge in his cheek made him stop, considering this new development, and he quickly turned back to stand before his Human once more. Neuro then caught her face in his large hand, leaned down as he pulled her forward and kissed her, long a deep.
Yako didn't want to admit how startled she was by this sudden action, or how nice it felt to have his lips on hers again. But she was sure her Demon could feel her body rise at his touch, and just decided to accept it as she put her arms around his neck to pull him down farther.
Neuro either became uncomfortable with having to bed down, or didn't feel like letting her gain any ground against him. He caught her around the waist and stood upright, taking her bare feet off the sand to continue kissing her.
After a long while, they parted. Hot and oddly happy, they smiled at each other.
'Strange,' Neuro thought. After all, he hadn't won her acceptance yet. And still, he was content with this. It felt like it had been too long since their last kiss. This one felt particularly nice. 'How very strange.'
Yako's feet touched down again and she let her Demon go. This time when he turned and walked away, he kept going without pausing or glancing back. She watched him until he slipped out of sight, happy with how things had gone. They had a better chance than before. And she was honestly glad.
"Okay… What was that?"
Turning at Kanae's voice, meeting her and her mom's shocked faces, Yako was embarrassed to realize she had no clue how long they had actually been there.
"I thought you hated him!" The redhead waved her arms frantically. "All I've been hearing is how miserable he makes you! And now we find you sucking face on the beach! Like it was the most natural thing in the world!"
Wondering just how to explain what had happened with Neuro, still feeling the sting of her fight with her mom, Yako sighed. "Let's go back to the lodge, I'll tell you everything in the room."
Kanae caught Yako's arm in a trembling hand, "Seriously…what…the hell?"
'What the Hell, indeed,' Yako mused, snorting a bit at her own joke.
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Yako managed to relay the issue with Neuro without revealing any of the deeper points. And she was surprised with how eager and pleased Kanae and her mom turned out to be about the whole thing.
"Yeah, that's perfect! Let the guy fall down on his knees and crawl on the floor! Let him beg and plead for your love!"
Yako couldn't imagine Neuro kneeling, even as a joke.
"It will at least prove just how much or how little you honestly mean to the man," Haruka nodded. "At the very least, it will force him to face the facts of what he know about you. As a man, he'll accept because of his pride. And if he loses the wager, his ego will ensure that he follows through with his end of the deal."
"Basically," Yako sighed.
The air became prickly as she met her mother's dark gaze, causing both of them to look away again. Neither had any idea how to cross the gaping divide that had formed between them. Trying to talk about it before had only served to widen the gap, it had solved nothing and only hurt more.
"Haruka-san, who did you sleep with to get Yako so upset?"
Mother and daughter blushed a scarlet red at the abrupt inquiry.
"Seriously! I want a straight explanation!" Kanae exploded. "This weekend has hardly been as nice or relaxing as we'd hoped. What's more, Yako has never gotten this mad at you before, Haruka-san! This is too big to keep bottled up anymore! I'm done!"
This time it was Haruka's turn. It took a while for her to gather her courage to explain what had happened the night before. How she had kept her relationship with Yuki a secret from everyone for the past few months.
Kanae was floored, and dared to look a little disappointed. But in the end, she knew better than to think the snowy-haired man would take any interest in her. Looking back on it, both he and his sexy older brother both acted as if they were already involved. Or maybe gay, with how they had hardly deigned to acknowledge her the night before.
"…Damn. He must be really great in bed for you to just throw caution to the wind on the weekend you planned to spend with me and Yako," the redhead sighed.
Haruka bowed her head, a little ashamed.
"Well! That explains an awful lot about everything!" Kanae went on. "But I don't think that's everything. There's still a whole lotta something between you both now. Just say what you wanna say and get it off your chests! You gotta just take this bag a snakes and lay 'em out straight!"
And with that, Yako's friend sat back at the table and pulled out a magazine to read while she waited for the issue to resolve itself. Maybe she wanted to look casual, but she was clearly still listening in.
Yako and Haruka sat facing each other, neither meeting the other's face, uncertain just how to begin.
Having her fill of silence, Yako sighed. "Did you decide to come her because you knew Yuki-san would be here?"
"No!" Her mother replied hastily. "I knew he was going to be out of town, but the fact that we ended up in the same place is just dumb luck! I swear!"
Yako wanted to believe that, but honestly couldn't say that she did. She wasn't sure if she could ever fully believe her mom again. Maybe that was what hurt so much.
"And—!" Haruka squeaked, stopped and swallowed before continuing. "And…about what you said before… I've never forgotten y0ur father, Yako. I still love him as much now as I ever did. And I still love you. That could never change."
Yako's heart squeezed in her ribs, and she glared at the window to her left. "Then why didn't you tell me you were dating again? Why did you wait so long and never even try to tell me anything?"
"It wasn't because I was making fun of you, Yako," her mother told her right away. "And it wasn't that I didn't trust you, I just…didn't know how to tell you that I had fallen in love with someone new. As happy as he made me, I had no idea how you would react to finding out about me and Yuki-kun. Would you hate me? Would you support me? I had to idea how to face you. Although, finding us…the way you did…" She coughed nervously. "In hindsight, I should have at least tried to tell you sooner. I'm sorry, Yako…"
The silence that settled between them wasn't as uncomfortable as before.
Yako wasn't sure she could fully forgive her mom. But she didn't want to stay mad at her. Moving over, she hugged Haruka, and was hugged back. It would go slowly, but at least it would move forward from here.
From seemingly nowhere, Kanae joined in on the hug.
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That rest of the day passed with relative ease. Swimming. Eating. Enjoying the hot sun and cool breeze. They honestly enjoyed the rest of the time they had to play. They packed up their things that night. A storm rolled in late in the night, and eased them into sleep with the sound of rain pounding against the windows and walls of the lodge.
When they left the next morning, while promising to visit again some far-off vacation, they knew that a lot of work and trouble awaited them back home.
But, Yako decided, a trouble could be worthwhile so long as it got the ball rolling. She was prepared for whatever insanity Neuro likely had planned, and looked forward to her own counterattack.
