09. Reality Unveiling
It was late at night and its the night before their wedding day. Lady Mizukage was busy reviewing some documents. She has to finish all these paper works before the guests arrive tomorrow. Then she heard a soft knock on the door as she saw a blue haired man with a tray of tea on his hands.
She smiled as she noticed that his gait is almost back to normal. Almost... the cane was resting on the side of the bed.
"My lady, have some tea." He said as he starts pouring.
Ao has been suspiciously different these past few days. She cannot pin it but she noticed a little "softness" that she really did not assume him capable off.
"Is everything alright Ao?" She probes. "Anything you want to tell me perhaps?"
Ao suddenly paused from whatever he was doing. Then he took in a deep breathed, straightened his that cause the Mizukage's eye brows to rise a little bit. This is very curious she mumbled to herself.
Then finally Ao stood in attention as if he was a young cadet doing his report. And without looking at the Mizukage, he started his practice tirade.
"My lady, tomorrow we will marry each other. I know that you have commanded me to marry you. But either for convenience or not, I want to be open and honest with you from this day forth in all things, most especially with this one thing." He paused as if catching his breath.
"Please know that I'm going through this not just because of duty. True it is a great honour for me to take your hand but please know that I'm doing this because I have great respect... And I.. And I.. " (Do not fail now he told himself as he felt the Mizukage leaning forward listening intently to his confession.)
"And I loved you with all my heart, always had and always will. I will back this love for you with my very life. I swore it."
Then he breathed out and cast a glance at the Mizukage. He cannot tell from her face what she was thinking. There was a long silence between them.
"So.. is that all you wanted to tell me?" The Mizukage asked almost tonelessly.
"Yes my lady." Ao responded feeling like a complete fool with his confession. He was never a romantic and never good with words... At least not romantic words. If it's giving orders, lectures or chiding Chojuro... His mind was trying to reason out.
"Thank you for telling me Ao." The Mizukage said almost dismissively.
Ao took that as a cue so he did a quick bow and walked out of the Mizukage's chambers with a visible sag on his shoulder. Was he expecting something more? What was he expecting?
XXXX
Ao cannot sleep so he stood by the window reviewing every word he has spoken earlier. It all made sense then, what the Tsuchikage said about letting the woman you love knows you loved her. It suddenly struck him that maybe, it doesn't apply to him, to them after all. Maybe in the Tsuchikage's case both of them were in love but for him and the Mizukage...
"Ao?"
He almost jumped when he realized the Mizukage was already in his room and he didn't even notice her opening the door.
He quickly turned around to face her but he didn't move from where he was standing as he gazed at her beautiful face illuminated only by the full moon shining brightly through the window. In his confusion he didn't even open the lights of his room and now it was just darkness around them saved the light from the sky.
She approached him slowly and Ao felt frozen to the ground where he stood. She stopped as she stood about midway the room. She was looking at him straight in his eyes.
"Ao, tell me again what you said, but with you looking at me straight in the eye."
Does she doubt my sincerity? The thought immediately pass his mind but he remembered the old man telling him that they as men will never full understand what goes though those women's pretty heads.
So he looked her in the eye and repeated verbatim what he said. But when he came to the part where he said he loved her, this time he didn't stutter. He said it with conviction, with all the outpouring fire from his heart and he noticed the space between them seemed to lessen as the Mizukage now stands at arm's length from him.
She smiled at him and said. "Thank you for telling me Ao." She paused and then she continued. "I like it that we will be honest to each other from here forth as husband and wife."
Ao smiled.
"To be honest, I was pondering on cancelling our wedding today." Came the unexpected statement that seems to awaken a thousand questions and doubts in his head. This woman will surely be the end of him, Ao thought to himself. With just a word or smile she can raise him to the pinnacle of joy or dash him to the bottom of the pit.
"Let me say this frankly Ao. I didn't know how much you really mean to me until I was trapped in Madara`s Infinite Tsukuyomi. There in my dream world, I was actually getting married to someone else." She continued while Ao's heart sank more as she spoke.
"During that wedding everyone was there, even the other villages' Kages, and boy how Tsunade was pissed. Jealous, that I was tying the knot before her. But then I saw you there, with your glum looked, looking quite silly with your western suit. There Ao, I realized that I was marrying the wrong man."
Ao's eyes widen as her hand gently hold on to one of the sleeves of his robes.
"That was the most horrible dream because while the wedding reception was going on I was trying to look for you through the crowd. But you were nowhere to be found. And then, when I went to the room with this stranger of a husband that I have... When I was kissing him..."
Ao wasn't sure if he wants to hear about a man kissing the Mizukage but he cannot stop her from telling her story so he just held his breathe...
"When I was about to kiss him, he turn into you." She smiled and Ao jumped up a little bit and said "Say what?"
"You were there with me in the room and when I asked where did the other man went you responded in your signature self-assured smile that there was no other one there. Just you. Just only you." Her grip on his sleeves was tightening, but Ao did not move one bit absorbing this tale.
"So imagine my pain Ao when I woke up to find out about that the Alliance headquarter was blown up. The days following that, when I wasn't sure if you were dead or alive.." Tears are now flowing freely from the Mizukage's eyes.
"I'm sorry my lady for causing you so much pain." Ao whispered. This all came as a surprised to him, hearing it for the first time. He didn't know that his death would affect her this much.
"Imagine me waking up from a world that has you in my arms to a reality where you were actually gone." She said this almost in a whisper.
"I sure can relate" He said in his head.
"So, I hope you will not look down on me someday for being so bold as to arranging that you stay in the room right beside mine. For forgetting decorum and lying beside you for many nights without your consent…." She said smiling almost embarrassed through her tears. "..as that was the only way I can quiet the nightmares of your death in my mind."
" Ao, let me say it plainly..." She said her voice quivering.
This time, Ao was the one to take action first. He wrapped his arms around her and pulling her tightly to himself as he heard the words he never imagined would be for him...
"Ao, I love you too … and I cannot live my life without you beside me."
They stood there for a very long time. Funny how people can be fully naked and yet be so distant from each other while there they are, fully clothed, too tired for any physical intimacy, and yet their hearts and souls are bared and vulnerably open between them, melding together as one.
Ao knew they both needed some sleep if they are to look at least reasonably presentable to their guests on their wedding day. But both of them were holding on to each other so tightly as if so afraid to let go. They stayed that way for a long time until finally they found their way to the nearest bed and fall asleep in each other's arm.
XXXX
Chojuro was all over his senpai trying to get Ao ready. He wanted to hit the boy to bring some sense back to him. What is he fussing about? He is already dress and how much more preparation he needs? Ao checked himself in the mirror and smiled approvingly.
He doesn't look too bad with his signature moussed hair. He was wearing a dark blue Haori with silver white linings over a dark blue kimono, and the water symbol at the crest. At the bottom, he wore a grey and blue lined Hakama to match his Haori. He looked appropriate and as far as he is concerned that is all that is required.
He tried to keep his patience as he waited by the door for his Lady Mizukage. The ceremony requires they both enter the reception together. And then, when he turned his heart stopped at the sight of the Lady Mizukage in her full white wedding kimono. She was radiant, more beautiful than he can ever imagine. She was being escorted down the stairs but when they both catch each other's eyes, they both smile frozen in place where they were standing.
Everything, from time he reached for her hand, to when they entered the reception hand in hand, to when they drank sake, exchanging rings and their first official kiss. Everything seemed just like a dream.
Mei cannot help but compare the feelings she was feeling now to the one in her dream. Even through the crowd, Ao has never once let go of her hand. He was only a few inches taller than her although his hair style seems to make him look a little bit taller. But she looked at him and realized how many times she had looked at him at this angle. Everything about Ao was familiar, and warm, and sure.
When they were teased for a dance and they not so grudgingly comply, she realized how many times she almost would place her chin by his shoulder to tell him "shut up or die". How his shoulder is just the right height, just where her chin falls.
Everything about Ao was familiar, his voice, his smell, his touched. There was no confusion, there were no doubts. She knew this man from her genin days and even up to now he has remained by her side steadfast. She smiled as she felt his hand in hers while his other hand hold her by the waist. They were big. She remembered the last time she was holding both of them was when he was under a mind transfer Jutsu. She was really tightening the knot suspecting he is not the real Ao and planning to give him the blow from Chojuro's twin blade sword. How she suddenly felt glad she only used her fist instead. Funny, how she thought about that one now.
Ao noticed her smiling. "Are you happy Lady Mizukage?" He whispered.
"Call me Mei San. And yes I'm very happy Ao. " She whispered back. She can feel a big grin coming on his face.
"Maybe in our private chambers but not in public. It will not suit the elders taste well." He answered teasingly.
"Damn them." She said still smiling hugging him much more tightly as they dance the night away.
Maybe, it's time they both escape and do something more than dancing. The dirty thought crossed her mind as she catches her husband's eyes with a similar suspicious gleam.
It's going to be a long night, but this time it won't be paper work.
