Hola peeps and peepettes of the internet. Sorry this took a while. Personal life got in the way more than once. I just hope you guys enjoy this chap, and I'd be grateful if you left a review. Motivates me to keep going. So enjoy!
CuHnadian: Well I still appreciate the support. All of you reviewers make me feel all fuzzy inside and make me better.
Starspike7: This'll go everywhere. It'll go to the ends of the universe then back into your computer. Because it can.
ReaverClankAlice and SlyCooper: And heeeere's the next one. Hope you enjoy. PS: I enjoyed the really long name.
BrokenRose99: Nice to know I did the emotions right. I guess I surprised myself with this. Gracias.
Chapter 7: Making it Count
Kasumi expertly flipped a ring between her fingers as she walked down the street. She snagged the piece of jewelry, among other things, from an antique store right in front of an unsuspecting cashier. Right next to her, Keiji stuffed a jeweled necklace into his pocket with a satisfied grin.
"That was probably the riskiest theft yet." He said. Kasumi chuckled and dropped the ring into her pocket.
"And it went off without a hitch." She said. The jewels in her pockets clinked with every step as they continued down the sidewalk.
"Yeah, I didn't think you'd be able to snatch that thing right in front of her. Glad to see I was wrong." Keiji said.
"I aim to please."
The two hastened their walking until they rounded a corner. Kasumi scanned the street for no particular reason, trying to look as innocent as possible to avoid any attention. Keiji soon caught her staring straight ahead, a scrunched up look on her face.
"Something up?" he asked. The scrunched face disappeared when she looked at him. That alone provided an answer more truthful than whatever she would say.
"Nope, not really." she said in a cheery tone. Keiji contemplated pressing her for more info. She was always open with stuff happening in her life so it was odd that she was trying to hide something this time. Meanwhile, Kasumi wondered if it was even worth talking about. Under normal circumstances she would have already told him, but this was different. She felt that her debate with Klenon should be kept under her hat, but at the same time she trusted Keiji implicitly. "Actually, there is one thing. It's personal though, so keep it between us, okay?"
"You got it." Keiji said. Kasumi slid her hands into her pockets and shrugged.
"It's Klenon. Yesterday he told me that he was joining up with the Alliance. He's throwing his name in the hat for biotic units. " She said. Keiji nodded, his face blank.
"I'm surprised. He doesn't seem the type to jump into something like that."
"I know. Doesn't seem like his cup of tea but he's insisting that he's going. I don't like it. I know he's doing it for his family, but it all just feels wrong to me. Call it a gut feeling." Kasumi said. The two stopped at the corner of a street and waited for a man with a large cart with various appliances on it to pass.
"Why? You think something will happen to him?" Keiji asked once they started down the street again.
"No, but you can never be too sure. Going off on his own is going to be tough, and I don't want to see him get hurt." Kasumi said. She sighed and pulled out the ring from before, staring into it thoughtfully as she continued, "We kind of got into a scuffle the other day about it. I told him to really think about what he was doing, and then I left; haven't talked to him since."
"You don't think you should try to talk to him now?" Keiji asked. Kasumi shrugged and held the ring up to the sky. The jewel shined brilliantly while it bathed in the sunlight. The gleam of the gold band caught her eye as she gazed upon its marvelous quality.
"I know I'll talk to him eventually. I just dread the discussion we're going to have. Something tells me that his mind hasn't changed; stubborn guy." She said after she placed the ring back in her pocket. "Once we stash the loot in our hiding spot, I'll go looking for him. Shouldn't be that hard to find him, he rarely goes far from his house after all."
"Good luck with that. If you need to talk, I'm here you know." Keiji said. Kasumi flashed a genuine smile and they continued to their usual hiding spot. In the back of Kasumi's mind, she hoped that somehow Klenon reconsidered his possibly fatal choice.
An hour had passed since Klenon had begun his cardio training. Captain Harris had insisted that Klenon start his physical training as soon as he was able to so that he'd be better adapted to the strain his biotics could cause. He had started with running along the outskirts of the colony twice before he could rest. Saying it was grueling work was an understatement. Klenon was drenched in sweat; his suit's bodily fluid functions could barely keep up in absorbing all of it. His lungs felt like they were going to pop from the stress and his legs burned from the constant motion.
Klenon came to a stop in front of the hill where he and Kasumi would always spend their time together. The tree, although a bit weathered over the years, still stood proudly over the plains surrounding Cuervo. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Klenon slowly ascended the hill and sat against the pale trunk of the tree.
By now, Klenon was wishing he had some water on hand. His throat was as dry as a desert and he didn't have enough energy to get back up and go all the way back home to drink some water. Instead, Klenon resigned himself to leaning back against the smooth, cool trunk and staring out into the big, empty grasslands before him.
His discussion with Kasumi had been at the forefront of his mind since he started running. It helped ignore the strain from moving non-stop. All he could think of is what would become of their friendship. Obviously he didn't want to see it end. He wasn't worried too much about it though. Kasumi wasn't the type to break something off over something like this. But he still expected the worst.
"What do you know, I was thinking about you and here you are."
Klenon looked up and saw Kasumi sitting on one of the many branches on the tree. Her back was against the trunk and her legs lay along the branch she was sitting on.
Well that makes two of us. Klenon thought with a shy grin. "What are you doing up there?"
"I took a break from looking for you. If I'd known you'd come to me, I would have stayed put." She answered with a grin of her own. Her smile soon evaporated when she noticed Klenon breathing heavily. "You alright? You look a little worn down."
"Eh, I've been running around the colony for an hour non-stop. I'm exhausted." Klenon replied. Kasumi jumped down from the branch and landed right next to him with a concerned look on her face.
""You need to find better things to do with your time, then." She smirked. Klenon chuckled lightly.
"I have better ideas of fun than this. That Alliance recruiter I told you about told me to start some exercise to get ready."
Kasumi frowned. She shouldn't have been surprised. A part of her knew he wouldn't change his mind. "So you're going through with it huh?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, Kasumi. But I want to do this, for my family, for me. My only regret is that I can't spend more time with you. But I can make it count, right?" Klenon asked. Kasumi shrugged.
"As much as I don't like it…there's not much that can be done about it." She said, her tone full of gloom. The conversation descended into an uncomfortable silence. Klenon shifted uneasily, his limbs protested under the smallest movement.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I want to make it up to you." He said. Kasumi turned to him, curious.
"Don't worry about it, Klenon. You don't have to make up anything. You're still my best friend. That's not changing." She said sincerely.
"Thanks Kasumi. I appreciate it." Klenon replied. Despite his warm reply, he felt discouraged when Kasumi said that that's all he'll ever be. If there was one thing he hated about what he was doing, it was that his chances of them actually having a shot together went down drastically; and he was already afraid of telling her for fear that it'd ruin everything they already had.
The next few minutes passed by in relative silence. Kasumi would sometimes make an offhand remark or Klenon would tell her something about what would happen to him during his time serving the Alliance. Soon the topic of his biotics came up.
"So are they going to give you an amp soon?" she asked. Klenon shrugged in response.
"I don't know. Captain Harris didn't tell me but I know that I'm going to get one soon. I'm a little scared to be honest. I have no idea how they're going to put it on me." He said.
"Don't worry about it. I bet you still have a long time before it happens." Kasumi said. She turned her head across the open plain, looking for something that would relieve the silence between them. Her eyes settled on one of the many animals that walked about out in the open. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. Kasumi turned to Klenon and said, "Hey, I think I have an idea. There's something that I've had in mind for a while now, a fun little activity if you will. Come on."
Klenon planted his hands firmly into the ground and pushed himself up and much as he could. His muscles ached from the exertion. "Where are we going? I can't go far, my legs are locking up."
"Oh you're so sensitive." Kasumi teased him. She reached down and grabbed a handful of yellow grass from the ground. "Wait for me here, I'm going to get the attention of one of those things." She said, pointing at one of the gray-furred mammals grazing below the hill.
"The Opa? How? Those things get scared easily." Klenon said. Kasumi shrugged innocently with a devilish grin.
"You'll see." She said simply. Without another word, she slid down the steep incline with ease and slowly approached the animal with careful steps. The Opa didn't notice her; its black eyes were focused on the ground. Kasumi took one silent step after another until she stopped right next to the massive animal. It was as tall as she was and had twin horns the size of her fingers. Kasumi's hand hovered over the Opa's thick, gray fur and her other hand filled with grass neared its mouth.
"That's it. Easy does it, big guy." She whispered under her breath. The Opa's large snout sniffed the grass in her hand curiously. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the hair on its back rise. Reacting quickly, Kasumi brought down her free hand and soothed the creature with gentle strokes. The Opa snorted loudly from the unexpected touch but nevertheless continued to sniff the grass in her hand. Kasumi smiled when she saw its mouth move closer and start to nibble on the grass.
"There you go."
Kasumi moved her hand towards her slightly and the Opa's mouth followed. Slowly, she began to move backwards, her eyes never leaving the hulking mammal. Just as she planned, the Opa started following her, intent on finishing the rest of the grass in her hand.
Klenon closely watched from his perch at the top of the hill. He couldn't help but admire her skill at managing to calm a normally jumpy creature. Kasumi took a quick glance backwards and climbed back up, the Opa hot on her trail.
"Stay as quiet as possible. We don't want to spook him." Kasumi whispered to him. Klenon nodded. The Opa struggled to climb up after her but was able to get a decent footing and continued chasing after her. Once Kasumi reached the tree, she dumped the remaining grass in Klenon's hand and started climbing up the thick branches.
"Wh-what am I supposed to do with this?" Klenon stuttered. His eyes widened when the Opa drew its attention to him.
"Just stay still and don't move a muscle." Kasumi said. Klenon pressed himself against the trunk and shuddered as the Opa came closer. Its moist nose pressed against Klenon's palm and took a long whiff of his scent.
"Kasumi…" Klenon said. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the massive creature. He had no reason to be afraid, Opa's were peaceful creatures, but being this close to something that was much bigger than him still intimidated him. "Any minute now…"
By now, the Opa's large, flat tongue was sticking out and lapping up the remainder of the grass. Klenon didn't dare move a muscle.
"Get ready to jump." Kasumi said above him.
"For what?"
"Just jump!"
Without a second thought, Klenon jumped to his feet. The same time he got up to his feet did he see Kasumi jump down and land on the Opa's back. The sudden movements and the unfamiliar weight on its back threw the Opa into a panic. Kasumi reached forward and grabbed the horns on its head.
"Come on, get up." She shouted over the Opa's freaked cries while holding out her free hand. Klenon reached out and tightly held onto her outstretched hand. His entire body was yanked forward as the Opa turned around and bolted in the opposite direction. Klenon's feet were dragged across the dirt as the Opa broke into full speed in a futile attempt to escape. Kasumi tried to lift her friend as best she could while maintaining her grip on the beast below her.
"What made you think this was a good idea?!" Klenon shouted. Kasumi held onto him as tight as she could and mustered al her strength for one final tug. Klenon reached up at the same time and pulled himself up using the Opa's thick fur. He swung his leg around until he was seated behind Kasumi and instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist.
This would be really awesome if I wasn't hanging on for my life.
"These things are more fun to ride than anything else in the colony." Kasumi replied. She leaned forward laughed ecstatically as the Opa ran through the fields. Klenon on the other hand was completely paralyzed. He was certain that his heart would explode right out of his chest.
"Kasumi, how long were you planning on doing this?!" he shouted. Kasumi looked back and tried to stop herself from laughing when she saw how freaked out he was.
"Until I get bored or when this thing throws us off, whichever comes first." She said with a wicked laugh. The Opa began howling as she finished her sentence and began running faster and more erratic than before. It took sharp, unexpected turns at a moment's notice, making it more difficult for the two to hang on.
"I'm uh…thinking more along the lines of the latter happening." Klenon muttered. Kasumi scoffed and focused her attention in front of her.
"Not if you hold on tight." She said.
"If I held on any tighter, I'd crush you to death." Klenon remarked.
"I'm not as sensitive as you think, tiger." She said. A slight bump brought her attention back in front of her. Despite Klenon's outward anxiety, he was actually having the time of his life. The thrill of riding this animal was unlike anything he had ever done before. He felt thrilled and alive; certainly much better than sitting at home all day and getting a headache from non-stop practice.
Still, the speed and the threat of being thrown off hazed his mind. All he could was a gray blur and the grass racing next to them. All he could hear was the Opa's heavy breathing and Kasumi's delighted laugh. The panicked beast beneath them ran up a hill and charged back down like a rollercoaster.
The Opa slid to a stop and threw its head up into the air, emitting a loud howl. Klenon was only able to grab his bearings for a moment before is started to thrash about like a bull.
Why Kasumi thinks this is fun I'll never know.
His thoughts were ripped away when he felt a sudden and powerful jerk. Before he could realize what was going on, he was thrown off the Opa's back and soared through the air, landing on his back against the hard ground with a thud. The force of the impact knocked the air out of Klenon's lungs and threw him into a coughing fit.
Kasumi turned around when she noticed the absence of hands around her waist and giggled when she saw Klenon splayed across the ground. With practiced precision, she laid her hands on the Opa's back and pushed herself up into the air, letting the frightened beast run below her and landing gracefully on her feet.
Kasumi rushed to Klenon's side and offered her hand. "Are you alright?" she asked as she pulled him up, the elated expression never leaving her face.
"Now that I'm off that thing, yes." Klenon said. He brushed the dirt off his suit and stretched his arms wide open.
"Admit it, you had fun." Kasumi said with a smile. She playfully poked him in the stomach a couple of times.
"Heh, uh alright. Maybe just a little…" Klenon said, displaying two fingers an inch apart from each other. Kasumi rolled her eyes.
"Please, you're such a horrible liar."
"I guess I am." Klenon said. The two sat down together in a much more comfortable silence. Nothing but the sound of trees rustling and the occasional bird chirping could be heard. Klenon took a deep breath. His helmet filtered most of the scent coming through, but he was still able to savor the scent of pine that wafted into his nostrils.
He was going to miss this. Once he left he'd be gone for a very long time. The sights, the sounds, the smells, they'd all be different and he knew deep down inside that they'd never amount to things he'd seen, heard, and smelled here at home.
Klenon directed his eyes to Kasumi. They spent the majority of their lives together, always exploring and discovering new things. A day hadn't gone by where they didn't spend time together. That was going to be something he missed. In a couple years it would be him against the galaxy; no one else.
Klenon's thoughts brought him back to the thing that he had been hiding the most. It was always apparent when he saw her how much he admired everything about her from her smooth, sweet voice to her dark brown eyes to her light-hearted personality. It was evident now more than ever that she was very dear to him.
Now if you could just tell her…
That was always the hardest part. He was so afraid of being rejected he never wanted to entertain the idea of telling her. Of course, he didn't have much time left. He thought that would be enough motivation to tell her but part of him pestered him relentlessly. It kept telling him that if she rejected him and he died. Her last memory of him would be when she rejected his advances. One moment that would sour her memory of him.
Klenon's feelings were in a jumble. He felt no real conviction to choose one option or the other. Both had their merits and faults. It could end in complete joy or utter despair. His heart wanted what his brain told him was too risky.
You don't have to worry about it now. A part of his mind told him gently. You still have a couple of years to sort everything out. Give yourself time, you'll figure out what you want in the end.
Klenon was all too eager to listen to that part of his mind. He ripped himself away from his thoughts only to realize he'd been staring at Kasumi for too long. Now she was staring back at him with an amused grin. Heat rose to Klenon's cheeks and his quickly looked away, which only made her smile widen.
"See something you like?" she teased him. Her choice of words baffled him. The nervous quarian began spouting random words in a horrible attempt to placate her.
"What? No I-I didn't mean it like that…I mean I didn't actually say anything but – I mean that…"
Klenon shut his mouth to avoid looking like a fool and suddenly became very interested in studying the ground. Kasumi playfully punched him in the shoulder to get his attention.
"Hey listen, I know we kinda got off on the wrong foot with this whole military thing. But I just wanted to let you know I'm behind you a hundred percent. Just promise that you won't forget about little ol' me when you're out there okay?" she said.
"I promise. I'll find a way to talk to you. You're uh…hardly a forgettable person after all." Klenon replied. His best friend was about to reply until the crackle of thunder roared through the skies. They both looked up and noticed clouds forming over them, darkening the landscape.
"Looks like it's about the rain. We should probably get back home." Kasumi suggest as she jumped up to her feet. Klenon looked up into the sky and watched tiny droplets of water land on his visor. The beads of water raced down the curve of his visor and dropped into the soil. He felt a slender hand grab his shoulder.
"Come on, I won't leave you here alone. That'd be rude." Kasumi said. Klenon finally nodded and walked back to the colony beside her. After a few steps, Kasumi coyly wrapped her arms around his. Klenon's muscle visibly tensed up and the unexpected and intimate gesture but he couldn't stop the smile from forming even if he wanted to.
Together they walked back home; both with smiles on their faces and happiness in their hearts. The threat of being separated still loomed over them but even now, in the dark storm that drifted over them, they knew that the time left was going to be worth it. They knew that they were going to stick together through everything. And neither distance nor time was going to change that.
