Fox Hunt
Part 9 (Last Chapter)
Disclaimer: This is the last time I will say it: I don't own anything but the story line and the original characters that I created.
Warnings: Implied lemon. More teasing of Marron. (sigh)
Vanilla was already asleep when Marron entered the room they'd been sharing since his team members had come to visit them. He changed into a soft yukata swiftly, and drew back the covers to slip in beside her.
*It never gets any easier,* he thought, starting when she turned over in her sleep to face him, unconsciously throwing her arm over his chest. *I still feel like I'm trespassing here.*
Marron watched Vanilla for a long moment while she slept, aided by the bright beam of moonlight coming in through the window. Her silver hair and pale skin glowed white, and she looked like an ethereal being of light.
*Beautiful . . . she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.*
He slipped closer to her, gathering her in his arms and pulling her gently against him. She curled against him with a sigh, pillowing her head on his shoulder.
Marron closed his eyes, breathing in the exotic herbal scent of her silver hair. After a moment, he opened his eyes again to watch her as he ran his fingers through the glowing white river of her long hair. The strands curled around his fingers with a life of their own, releasing him almost reluctantly when Vanilla shifted in his arms.
Embarrassed, Marron froze. Vanilla said nothing; she did not even move.
"Vanilla?" he ventured softly. "Are you awake?"
"Yes," she replied in a low voice.
"I . . . I need to ask you something . . ."
"Go on," she prompted when he paused.
"I don't remember anything about that . . . about that night," he began, feeling the heat staining his cheeks increase a little.
"I'm not surprised," Vanilla said when he paused again. Her tone was strangely sad? Regretful? He couldn't tell. "That was the worst fit," she added.
It's now or never, he thought, taking a deep breath. I hope this works.
"I wish that I did," he added softly in her ear.
Vanilla turned to look at him, her expression astonished in the bright beam of moonlight. Her eyes and hair and skin were all bleached of color, and he caught his breath.
"You're so beautiful," he barely breathed, his right hand sliding into her hair, cupping her cheek. "When you kissed me at our wedding, I wanted . . ." He stopped, unable to continue.
"You wanted what?" she asked softly, her eyes intent on his.
"A-and when you kissed me in front of everyone," he added, "it was all I could do not to . . ."
"Not to what?" Vanilla murmured.
"Vanilla, I . . ." I love you. "Will you show me . . . what I did to you that night?"
Vanilla stared at him, and Marron wished fervently that he could take those words back.
*Oh, no, what have I done?! She's not that kind of woman, even if we are married!*
Vanilla sat up.
"I-I'm sorry!" he blurted, not wanting her to go. "I didn't mean to – "
Vanilla smiled at him, and deliberately untied the sash on her yukata, sliding it off her shoulders and letting it pile onto the floor. She ignored the total shock on his face.
"You were hunched over on the side of the bed when I came in," she explained. "When I tried to help you, you pulled me into your arms and kissed me – like this."
She demonstrated, seizing his lips. Marron moaned low in his throat, shock quickly giving way to desire. Heat washed through him as her hands gently untied the sash holding his yukata closed.
Vanilla deepened the kiss, pulling the yukata aside to press her bare skin against him. Something like electricity shot through him, and his arms closed around her, trapping her against his chest.
Her hair made a silvery-white curtain around his face as her tongue plundered his mouth, sending his senses reeling toward a world made up of only Vanilla. His hands caressed her soft skin, roaming over her back, her arms, down her sides.
After an eternity spent tangling her tongue with his, she broke the kiss, tugging at his lower lip as she pulled away. Marron was panting heavily, his golden eyes glazed with need and passion, mirroring Vanilla's.
"Do you want to see more?" she asked huskily.
"Please," he whispered. "Show me."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
A soft, disgruntled babble of sound came from the cradle in the corner, penetrating the fog of contentment shrouding Vanilla's mind.
*Mint's awake,* she thought sleepily, and stretched languidly against Marron's body. She smiled when she heard him gasp.
His arms tightened around her when she tried to get up. Amused, Vanilla looked down at him, finding his golden eyes open and gazing up at her. She leaned down and kissed him softly, laughing and pulling back when he tried to deepen the kiss.
"The little one needs her diaper changed and her breakfast," she told him when he moaned in protest.
Marron stuck his tongue out at her, but let her up when she moved again. She could feel his eyes on her as she picked up her pale blue yukata and slipped it on, then padded silently over to Mint's cradle.
" 'Morning, little one," she cooed as she pulled Mint out from underneath her blankets. Mint gurgled cheerfully at her mother, waving her arms around. Vanilla laughed. "Are you happy to see me?"
Mint gurgled happily at her again, wriggling as Vanilla changed her diaper. Marron turned on his side to watch her, a small smile curving his lips.
"Come on, little one," Vanilla said softly as she lifted Mint into her arms, carrying her back over to the bed. Marron slid back to allow her some room on the bed, and she sat down with Mint, baring her breast and putting the child up to it.
Surprisingly, Marron gazed directly at her and the baby this time, his golden eyes warm and tender as he watched Mint suckling. Vanilla looked at him, startled.
"What?" he asked, meeting her eyes warily.
"You're watching me," she said.
"Did you want me to look away?" he asked, dropping his gaze. He blushed.
"No," Vanilla said softly, smiling. "It's just that you don't usually watch me while I'm nursing her."
Marron raised his eyes to hers again, his expression hopeful. "Then you don't mind?" he asked, taken aback.
"Of course not," Vanilla said, shifting Mint in her lap. "I always used to wonder why you would never look at me, and I thought it was because you felt ashamed or embarrassed about it."
"No, it was never that," Marron said, shaking his head as he pushed himself into a sitting position next to her. "I thought that you didn't want me to watch you while you nursed Mint." He coughed delicately. "And it always reminded me of that night we, um, well . . ."
Vanilla smiled. "Made love?" she supplied, and he nodded, faintly embarrassed. "I would not have married you if I minded you looking at me," she added, and shifted Mint to her other breast, glancing up in time to see Marron's gaze raise from her breast to meet hers. "I know what you're thinking: 'well, if you don't mind . . .' "
If it was possible, Marron's blush deepened.
Vanilla laughed softly. "You are way too much fun to tease, heart-mate," she said smugly, and leaned forward to give him a quick brush of her lips on his, taking care not to jostle Mint.
Marron laughed helplessly. "How do you do that?" he asked. "How do you always manage to make me feel so completely out of my depth so easily?"
She shrugged. "I'm not that hard to figure out," she replied, her purple eyes darkening as she leaned forward to brush her lips against his again. This time he tilted his chin, kissing her back before she could pull away.
"Is Mint finished yet?" he asked several moments later, his voice slightly husky.
"Um, I think so," Vanilla replied. "Why?" Her eyes were warm, and her slight smile indicated that she knew exactly what he was saying.
"Would she excuse us for a while?" He slipped his arms around her waist gently.
"How long a while?" she asked, tilting her head as he caressed her neck with his lips and tongue.
"However long it takes to pay you back for last night," Marron replied, slipping her yukata off her shoulder to gently press kisses on her soft skin.
"Maybe," Vanilla sighed, shifting so that the yukata slipped further down her arm. "You could ask her . . ."
"Mm. Mint, do you mind if I borrow your mother for a while?" he murmured, his lips at Vanilla's ear. His soft voice made her shiver as she pulled away to put the baby back to bed.
Mint muttered something cheerfully in baby talk, as if confused as to why her beloved mother was placing her back in her cradle so soon.
"I'll give her back . . ." he promised, watching Vanilla as she paced back toward him. "Maybe."
Vanilla laughed softly, sliding back into his arms. "I don't think she minds. I know I don't." She gasped when his hands slid into her yukata, caressing her bare skin. "Carrot and the others might, as their breakfast will be a little late . . ."
"They'll live," Marron said, trailing kisses down her throat. "Besides, isn't this more fun than cooking?"
Vanilla gasped again. "You have a point there," she replied breathily.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Marron and Vanilla walked down to the kitchen with Mint some time later, holding hands. The other Sorcerer Hunters, minus Gateau, were seated around the table, sipping tea with Butterscotch, Lemon, and Ravensara.
Very prominent dark circles smudged the skin under Carrot's, Chocolate's, and Tira's eyes, and the three of them glared up at the couple as they entered the room. The three elves simply looked like they were trying (and almost failing) to keep from laughing, which nearly spoiled the affect of the three Sorcerer Hunters' glares.
"What's wrong with you three?" Vanilla asked, raising one elegant silver eyebrow. She passed Mint to Ravensara when she held out her arms in a silent request for her niece.
Tira's eyes sparkled behind her glasses, ruining the affect of her glare. "We didn't sleep very well last night," she replied primly.
"Someone was making a lot of noise," Chocolate added, her mouth quirking.
Butterscotch, Lemon, and Ravensara all exchanged glances, and swiftly hid their smiles in their teacups. Mint giggled, sensing the joke, if not the meaning of it.
Marron was not as well informed as his daughter. He looked at them, thoroughly confused.
*What are they talking about? I never heard anything. I had the best night of sleep I've ever had last night, and I sleep really lightly.*
"I don't know what you were doing to Marron last night, Vanilla," Carrot drawled, taking a sip of his tea, "but whatever it was, he must have liked it. I've never heard him moan that loudly before."
"We'll have to compare notes later," Chocolate said to Vanilla, glancing at Carrot with a speculative gleam in her blue eyes.
*Oh my god . . . they heard us?!*
Marron flushed crimson, but Vanilla just smiled serenely and slipped her arm around his shoulders, squeezing lightly.
Butterscotch grinned proudly, pouring herself another cup of tea. Lemon laughed, and Ravensara hid another smile in her teacup, bouncing Mint in her arms as she did so with practiced ease.
"I could say something," Butterscotch said graciously, "but just this once, I'll leave you alone, Marron. Your brother is doing my job for me rather nicely, don't you think?" The six around the table all laughed, and Marron blushed again. "I'm just happy that everything is all right between you two now," she added with a self-congratulatory smirk at Lemon and Ravensara.
"I knew the Ice Maiden would fall hard when she finally fell in love," Ravensara said to Lemon, beaming with pride. "Didn't she?" she cooed to Mint, who giggled again.
Lemon's green eyes sparkled with amusement. "Who won the betting pool for the date of her wedding?"
"Strangely enough, Rice Krispie did," Ravensara replied.
Vanilla sighed. "You're all hopeless; I trust you realize that," she replied dryly. "So, how much was the pool up to? Or should I not ask?"
Butterscotch laughed, stirring sugar into her tea. "Don't ask, child; you'll regret it!"
"I already regret it," Vanilla muttered, smiling at Marron. He smiled back at her, captivated by her deep purple eyes.
*Every time I look at her, it's the same thing. I could stare into her eyes for the rest of my life and be perfectly content. I hope that never changes,* Marron thought sincerely.
"Are Amaretto and Tarragon here?" Vanilla was asking.
"Yes," Ravensara said, rolling her eyes. "They decided to borrow your Patchouli set for a game or three."
Lemon laughed fondly. "I doubt that you'd be able to pry them away from it with a crowbar," she said with a wry smile that Vanilla and Ravensara returned.
"Sit down, you two," Tira said. "There's plenty of tea, and Butterscotch made some pastries for breakfast."
"Yeah, after all that exercise last night, you should be pretty hungry," Carrot added with a wink at Vanilla as he and the others shifted their positions around the table to allow the two to sit down.
Marron flushed again, coughing uncomfortably, and the others laughed. He sat down next to the empty chair where Vanilla was apparently going to sit.
"Where is Gateau?" Marron asked to try to change the subject.
Chocolate shrugged. "He said something about going for a walk, I think," she said, glancing at Tira.
Tira nodded. "He said he'd be back around lunch time, I think."
*I haven't had a chance to talk to him to see how he's taking all of this. Maybe I should go look for him, to see if I can explain things a little better to him,* Marron thought uncomfortably.
"By the way, Vanilla," Butterscotch added, "the wood box in the corner is empty. I thought I should mention it so you don't have to go out there and get more wood when I give you another chance to cook." She smiled at Vanilla fondly.
"All right," Vanilla said. "Since I'm up, I may as well just go now."
"You don't have to do that," Carrot interjected. "I'll do it for you."
"No, that's fine," Vanilla said, turning for the door. "I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself, you know." She winked at Marron as she left the room.
*She's leaving so soon?*
Marron hid his disappointment by sipping the tea that Tira poured for him.
Suddenly, he looked up to find Carrot grinning at him. "Yes?"
"You're worse than I thought," he said. "Absolutely, positively gone."
Lemon grinned. "We wouldn't have it any other way," she said, smiling at Marron as he flushed again.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Gateau swung the heavy axe as if it were a feather, splitting the wood as easily as breathing and smooth as butter. The steady rhythm of the axe blade hitting the wood was almost therapeutic, and the monotonous movements helped him to think more clearly. Right now, he had a lot of things on his mind that he needed to work out, and the big man preferred to do his thinking in private. The others in his team were a bit too distracting to do any serious introspection around.
*I should have known better than to listen to Carrot's blabbering,* Gateau thought bitterly as he swung the axe into another log. *He was probably just hoping that all the teasing he was doing would make Marron mad enough to prove him wrong. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up . . . Especially after hearing Marron and Vanilla together last night, I should know by now that I never had a chance.*
He sighed, and set the axe down to carry the split logs over to the woodshed. It was dark and cool inside the shed, an interesting contrast to the heat of the garden outside, considering that it was winter.
*I'll never get used to that. I wonder how Vanilla makes it summer in here all the time?*
He stepped back outside the shed, and headed back over to the chopping block. The walk this morning through the outskirts of the forest had done him a little bit of good, but not as much as the familiar chore of chopping wood.
*I'm still not sure how to take all this,* Gateau thought uncomfortably as he lifted the axe again. *It's still kind of a shock, even now, to think that Marron is married, and even has a kid already.*
He shook his head bemusedly at the thought of Mint.
*I can already tell that Mint's gonna have all of us wrapped around her tiny little finger. She's going to be utterly adorable, and if Marron and Vanilla don't watch it, she'll be spoiled rotten.*
He swung the axe, and the thick log on the block was cleaved smoothly in half. He bent to retrieve one of the halves, setting it on the block. Then he paused to pull his shirt off and mop the sweat off his face with it.
*Kuso! It's so hot! Vanilla certainly doesn't do anything half-assed when it comes to the use of her power. I just hope it has nothing to do with the Forbidden Magic. I don't want to have to carry out a contract on her life, especially after seeing Marron so happy with her.*
Gateau frowned as he cleaved the half of the log into half again.
*I guess I didn't see it coming because I didn't want to,* he thought slowly. *I wanted to make Marron into something that he wasn't, and I never took the time to see who he really was, like Vanilla must have. Kuso, that's painful! My fault, though. I thought that I really loved him. Maybe I was wrong.*
He swung the axe again, chopping the other half of the log into half again, and looked up to see Vanilla walking toward him.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Vanilla protested. "You already chopped more than enough wood for me yesterday."
Gateau smiled at her awkwardly. "It's okay," he replied. "I do this all the time anyway." He'd half-hoped that she wouldn't notice how awkward it was for him to talk to her, but of course she did.
Vanilla frowned. "Gateau," she said seriously, "are you all right with me being Marron's wife? I know that you have feelings for him."
He looked away from her. "Did Marron tell you?" he asked quietly, wondering with a pang what Marron might have said about him.
"No," she replied, to his relief. "I just guessed. He never said much of anything about it. He's been feeling very guilty about hurting you, though, whether you know it or not."
"He has?" Gateau said, surprised.
Vanilla nodded, and took a step closer. "He hasn't said anything directly to me about it, but I can tell that it's bothering him."
Gateau started, looking away from her.
*She's learned more about Marron in three months than I've ever learned in all the years we've traveled together . . .*
Vanilla's slim, pale hand touched his arm, and he looked at her. "Are you all right with me being Marron's wife?" she asked again.
He was silent for a moment, thinking. "You're good for him," he said at last. "I don't think I've ever seen him so happy before."
"But?" she prodded when he stopped.
"But if you ever hurt him, I'll kill you," he said evenly.
Strangely, Vanilla smiled at this. "I'm glad he has friends like you," she said, patting his arm gently. His opinion of her went up a notch, and he couldn't help but smile back at her.
"Thanks," he said, and meant it.
"Would you mind helping me fill the wood box in the kitchen?" she asked then.
"Not at all," he said courteously.
*~~~~~~~~~~*
"You're leaving already?" Marron asked, dismayed.
"Yeah," Carrot said. "You guys need your privacy, and we need our sleep, so we'd better find another place to stay."
"We won't get another assignment for a while," Marron protested, ignoring his brother's teasing. "You could stay here. There's plenty of room."
"You're all welcome to stay as long as you like," Vanilla added, entwining her arm with Marron's without thinking. She noticed that his golden eyes fairly glowed with pleasure when she leaned against him, and smiled inwardly.
"*We* won't get another assignment for a while?" Gateau asked, raising one blond eyebrow. He grinned broadly. "I take it you decided to stay on the team?"
Marron looked at Vanilla uncertainly, but she only smiled at him. "I'm not going to ask you to quit," she told him. "I'd even encourage you not to; I know how much it means to you. Besides, you don't need my permission."
He looked infinitely relieved by her words. "Of course I'm not quitting," he told his teammates, who all smiled.
"Good," Gateau said. "We need you to keep Carrot out of trouble."
"Hey!"
"We'll just be in Split Pea," Tira said.
"We'll come visit you a lot," Chocolate added.
"Yeah, so much you'll get sick of us," Carrot put in with a smile.
"Are you sure that you really want to go, though?" Marron asked anxiously.
"We won't be far, bro," Carrot reassured him, putting a hand on the shoulder of the arm that was not holding Vanilla against him. "Just at the Bratwurst Inn again."
Marron frowned unhappily, but nodded. "That isn't too far," he agreed.
"Is the marketplace in Split Pea any good?" Chocolate asked with a speculative gleam in her eyes.
"A wide variety of merchants are always passing through, if that's what you mean," Vanilla replied. "Why?"
"We need to get you two some wedding presents," Chocolate said with hearts in her eyes. She looked at Carrot, who drew back in horror from her. "Won't it be fun to pick out their gifts together, Darling?" she asked sweetly.
"Uh . . . how 'bout if you go ahead, and I'll catch up?" Carrot suggested, looking around wildly for an escape route.
"Now, Darling, you should know by now that it's not that easy to get away from me," Chocolate cooed, wrapping a proprietary arm around Carrot's neck. He gulped, and struggled futilely for a moment, but was unable to free himself.
"We should find some presents for Mint, too," Gateau said, grinning at Carrot's discomfort. "Kids can never have too many toys."
"It is an uncle's privilege to spoil his niece," Carrot agreed from the headlock Chocolate had him in, his voice strained. "Never . . . ugh . . . ooh . . . too soon . . . ouch . . . to start . . . right, Chocolate?"
"Right, Darling," Chocolate replied, beaming down at him adoringly. "Shall we go?"
"May as well," Tira agreed cheerfully.
"See you tomorrow," Carrot croaked. "Well, unless Chocolate chokes me to death first . . . ouch, oh, ouch! Please, let go . . . need air!"
"Oh, please, I'm not holding you that tightly," Chocolate replied in disgust, releasing Carrot to fall at her feet in an untidy heap, gasping for air theatrically. She smiled up at Marron and Vanilla sweetly. "I guess we'll be going now, but we'll be back tomorrow, like Darling said."
"Kuso, guys," Gateau muttered impatiently. "What's with the long, drawn- out good-byes? We'll be back tomorrow, for crying out loud! Let's hurry up and get to Split Pea before the marketplace closes and we have to listen to Chocolate whine about it."
Chocolate sniffed indignantly, but before she could start, Tira began pushing her away from the porch. "See you tomorrow!" the pink-haired girl said cheerfully as she collected Carrot from the ground.
Gateau sighed a long-suffering sigh, grinned at Marron and Vanilla ruefully, and waved as he followed the others toward Split Pea.
Marron rolled his eyes. "See you tomorrow," he called after them.
"Oh, good, they're finally gone," Butterscotch said as she came up behind them. "I thought they'd never leave!"
"Butterscotch," Vanilla chided, but the midwife only grinned.
"They're odd people, but nice," Tarragon said, coming up from behind Butterscotch with Ravensara, Lemon, and Amaretto.
"Okay, people," Lemon said, clapping her hands briskly. "Let's go now. We've annoyed these two quite enough for one day."
"You haven't been any trouble," Marron said hastily, and jumped when Vanilla elbowed him in his side gently. He glanced at her, and she smiled serenely at him, praying that he would get the not-so-subtle hint and keep his mouth shut.
Lemon noticed the slight gesture, and grinned. She took her husband's hand and tugged him toward the door. "Let's go, heart-mate," she said with a sigh.
"Cheated out of Vanilla's legendary cooking again!" Amaretto wailed mournfully, but dutifully followed his wife out the door with a minimum of argument.
Tarragon laughed at his brother-in-law, and followed them as they left. "Poor Amaretto," he said, his jet eyes twinkling.
"Indeed," Ravensara said in mock-disgust, her obsidian eyes twinkling as well. She looked at Marron, grinning. "You see what you have to look forward to?"
Marron smiled, and looked at Vanilla tenderly. "That doesn't seem so bad," he replied, gently and briefly trailing the back of his hand down her cheek. She smiled back at him, blushing a little.
"Okay, let's allow our newlyweds to be alone now," Tarragon said, taking Ravensara's shoulders gently with his hands and steering her toward the door. "You too, Butterscotch."
The mid-wife grinned. "I think I'll head over to Split Pea to flirt with Ramen for a while," she mused aloud, her pale yellow eyes coyly speculative. She followed Tarragon and Ravensara out the door, but paused and turned back to look at them. "I really am glad that you managed to work everything out," she added quietly, with a smile, and then shut the door behind her.
Vanilla sighed with relief. "Thank the gods, they're gone!" she said emphatically. Marron just smiled at her. "What?"
"Just this," he replied, tilting her chin so he could claim her lips.
"Oh," she said breathlessly long moments later. "You mean, this?" She stretched up on her tiptoes, sliding her arms around his neck and pressing her body to his as she kissed him again.
"Mm," he murmured back with a smile. "Now what?" he asked after several more long moments had passed.
A thin, hungry wail sounded from the bedroom upstairs where Mint was taking a nap, and they both smiled.
"Now I'm going to feed Mint," Vanilla replied. "Then I'll probably go make something for dinner, unless you have something else in mind." She smiled at him mischievously. "How's that sound?"
"Perfect," Marron replied, his golden eyes warm. "We do have three months worth of catching up to do." He ran his fingers through her silver hair, and she shivered slightly at the look in his eyes.
"Very true," she agreed, and slipped her arm around his waist as they walked down the hallway toward the stairs.
*~~~~~~~~~ OWARI ~~~~~~~~~*
Author's Final Notes: Frighteningly enough, I have been getting some requests for a sequel to this story. Honestly, I do have a few ideas bouncing around in my head, and that's where I intended them to stay. However, if you truly do want me to write a sequel, please let me know either through an email or a review, and I might consider it. I'm not making any promises, though.
Anyway, I have some last minute thank-yous to give out:
Tears for Soujiro: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! I had a very hard time writing that wedding scene for some reason, and I'm glad it turned out okay. I hope you didn't miss anything too important in your class. ^_^ I've accidentally missed a class or two for good fanfics as well.
Mothra: (Gee, wonder who you are? ^_^) One of my major weaknesses (as I'm sure you know) is that I keep forgetting that my readers know what's going on in my story if I hint at it but don't come right out and say it. This is why I need reviews, so people can point out major glaring errors, and I can fix them. In my defense (and I know it's not a very good one), the primary focus of this story is Marron and Vanilla's relationship. Vanilla's battle with Bagel and Lox was not meant to be a climatic scene. That comes later. If Lox and Bagel have time to prepare spells ahead of time, then they are very dangerous, which is why they were captured so easily. They were not prepared to deal with Vanilla's magic, however, which I should probably make clearer if I come back and rewrite this later. That's why they were captured so easily. Thank you for your input. ^_^
And I also have three very special thank yous to give to JRM (my first reviewer! ^_^), NCDavis, and Fala (the last two for the valuable tips they gave me. ^_^ Thanks, guys!). No, I'm not trying to suck up. I am honestly appreciative that you took the time to review my story and give me feedback on my writing. That is how we all improve.
For everyone who read this far, thank you very much for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed it.
~ Lady Cianyin ~
Part 9 (Last Chapter)
Disclaimer: This is the last time I will say it: I don't own anything but the story line and the original characters that I created.
Warnings: Implied lemon. More teasing of Marron. (sigh)
Vanilla was already asleep when Marron entered the room they'd been sharing since his team members had come to visit them. He changed into a soft yukata swiftly, and drew back the covers to slip in beside her.
*It never gets any easier,* he thought, starting when she turned over in her sleep to face him, unconsciously throwing her arm over his chest. *I still feel like I'm trespassing here.*
Marron watched Vanilla for a long moment while she slept, aided by the bright beam of moonlight coming in through the window. Her silver hair and pale skin glowed white, and she looked like an ethereal being of light.
*Beautiful . . . she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.*
He slipped closer to her, gathering her in his arms and pulling her gently against him. She curled against him with a sigh, pillowing her head on his shoulder.
Marron closed his eyes, breathing in the exotic herbal scent of her silver hair. After a moment, he opened his eyes again to watch her as he ran his fingers through the glowing white river of her long hair. The strands curled around his fingers with a life of their own, releasing him almost reluctantly when Vanilla shifted in his arms.
Embarrassed, Marron froze. Vanilla said nothing; she did not even move.
"Vanilla?" he ventured softly. "Are you awake?"
"Yes," she replied in a low voice.
"I . . . I need to ask you something . . ."
"Go on," she prompted when he paused.
"I don't remember anything about that . . . about that night," he began, feeling the heat staining his cheeks increase a little.
"I'm not surprised," Vanilla said when he paused again. Her tone was strangely sad? Regretful? He couldn't tell. "That was the worst fit," she added.
It's now or never, he thought, taking a deep breath. I hope this works.
"I wish that I did," he added softly in her ear.
Vanilla turned to look at him, her expression astonished in the bright beam of moonlight. Her eyes and hair and skin were all bleached of color, and he caught his breath.
"You're so beautiful," he barely breathed, his right hand sliding into her hair, cupping her cheek. "When you kissed me at our wedding, I wanted . . ." He stopped, unable to continue.
"You wanted what?" she asked softly, her eyes intent on his.
"A-and when you kissed me in front of everyone," he added, "it was all I could do not to . . ."
"Not to what?" Vanilla murmured.
"Vanilla, I . . ." I love you. "Will you show me . . . what I did to you that night?"
Vanilla stared at him, and Marron wished fervently that he could take those words back.
*Oh, no, what have I done?! She's not that kind of woman, even if we are married!*
Vanilla sat up.
"I-I'm sorry!" he blurted, not wanting her to go. "I didn't mean to – "
Vanilla smiled at him, and deliberately untied the sash on her yukata, sliding it off her shoulders and letting it pile onto the floor. She ignored the total shock on his face.
"You were hunched over on the side of the bed when I came in," she explained. "When I tried to help you, you pulled me into your arms and kissed me – like this."
She demonstrated, seizing his lips. Marron moaned low in his throat, shock quickly giving way to desire. Heat washed through him as her hands gently untied the sash holding his yukata closed.
Vanilla deepened the kiss, pulling the yukata aside to press her bare skin against him. Something like electricity shot through him, and his arms closed around her, trapping her against his chest.
Her hair made a silvery-white curtain around his face as her tongue plundered his mouth, sending his senses reeling toward a world made up of only Vanilla. His hands caressed her soft skin, roaming over her back, her arms, down her sides.
After an eternity spent tangling her tongue with his, she broke the kiss, tugging at his lower lip as she pulled away. Marron was panting heavily, his golden eyes glazed with need and passion, mirroring Vanilla's.
"Do you want to see more?" she asked huskily.
"Please," he whispered. "Show me."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
A soft, disgruntled babble of sound came from the cradle in the corner, penetrating the fog of contentment shrouding Vanilla's mind.
*Mint's awake,* she thought sleepily, and stretched languidly against Marron's body. She smiled when she heard him gasp.
His arms tightened around her when she tried to get up. Amused, Vanilla looked down at him, finding his golden eyes open and gazing up at her. She leaned down and kissed him softly, laughing and pulling back when he tried to deepen the kiss.
"The little one needs her diaper changed and her breakfast," she told him when he moaned in protest.
Marron stuck his tongue out at her, but let her up when she moved again. She could feel his eyes on her as she picked up her pale blue yukata and slipped it on, then padded silently over to Mint's cradle.
" 'Morning, little one," she cooed as she pulled Mint out from underneath her blankets. Mint gurgled cheerfully at her mother, waving her arms around. Vanilla laughed. "Are you happy to see me?"
Mint gurgled happily at her again, wriggling as Vanilla changed her diaper. Marron turned on his side to watch her, a small smile curving his lips.
"Come on, little one," Vanilla said softly as she lifted Mint into her arms, carrying her back over to the bed. Marron slid back to allow her some room on the bed, and she sat down with Mint, baring her breast and putting the child up to it.
Surprisingly, Marron gazed directly at her and the baby this time, his golden eyes warm and tender as he watched Mint suckling. Vanilla looked at him, startled.
"What?" he asked, meeting her eyes warily.
"You're watching me," she said.
"Did you want me to look away?" he asked, dropping his gaze. He blushed.
"No," Vanilla said softly, smiling. "It's just that you don't usually watch me while I'm nursing her."
Marron raised his eyes to hers again, his expression hopeful. "Then you don't mind?" he asked, taken aback.
"Of course not," Vanilla said, shifting Mint in her lap. "I always used to wonder why you would never look at me, and I thought it was because you felt ashamed or embarrassed about it."
"No, it was never that," Marron said, shaking his head as he pushed himself into a sitting position next to her. "I thought that you didn't want me to watch you while you nursed Mint." He coughed delicately. "And it always reminded me of that night we, um, well . . ."
Vanilla smiled. "Made love?" she supplied, and he nodded, faintly embarrassed. "I would not have married you if I minded you looking at me," she added, and shifted Mint to her other breast, glancing up in time to see Marron's gaze raise from her breast to meet hers. "I know what you're thinking: 'well, if you don't mind . . .' "
If it was possible, Marron's blush deepened.
Vanilla laughed softly. "You are way too much fun to tease, heart-mate," she said smugly, and leaned forward to give him a quick brush of her lips on his, taking care not to jostle Mint.
Marron laughed helplessly. "How do you do that?" he asked. "How do you always manage to make me feel so completely out of my depth so easily?"
She shrugged. "I'm not that hard to figure out," she replied, her purple eyes darkening as she leaned forward to brush her lips against his again. This time he tilted his chin, kissing her back before she could pull away.
"Is Mint finished yet?" he asked several moments later, his voice slightly husky.
"Um, I think so," Vanilla replied. "Why?" Her eyes were warm, and her slight smile indicated that she knew exactly what he was saying.
"Would she excuse us for a while?" He slipped his arms around her waist gently.
"How long a while?" she asked, tilting her head as he caressed her neck with his lips and tongue.
"However long it takes to pay you back for last night," Marron replied, slipping her yukata off her shoulder to gently press kisses on her soft skin.
"Maybe," Vanilla sighed, shifting so that the yukata slipped further down her arm. "You could ask her . . ."
"Mm. Mint, do you mind if I borrow your mother for a while?" he murmured, his lips at Vanilla's ear. His soft voice made her shiver as she pulled away to put the baby back to bed.
Mint muttered something cheerfully in baby talk, as if confused as to why her beloved mother was placing her back in her cradle so soon.
"I'll give her back . . ." he promised, watching Vanilla as she paced back toward him. "Maybe."
Vanilla laughed softly, sliding back into his arms. "I don't think she minds. I know I don't." She gasped when his hands slid into her yukata, caressing her bare skin. "Carrot and the others might, as their breakfast will be a little late . . ."
"They'll live," Marron said, trailing kisses down her throat. "Besides, isn't this more fun than cooking?"
Vanilla gasped again. "You have a point there," she replied breathily.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Marron and Vanilla walked down to the kitchen with Mint some time later, holding hands. The other Sorcerer Hunters, minus Gateau, were seated around the table, sipping tea with Butterscotch, Lemon, and Ravensara.
Very prominent dark circles smudged the skin under Carrot's, Chocolate's, and Tira's eyes, and the three of them glared up at the couple as they entered the room. The three elves simply looked like they were trying (and almost failing) to keep from laughing, which nearly spoiled the affect of the three Sorcerer Hunters' glares.
"What's wrong with you three?" Vanilla asked, raising one elegant silver eyebrow. She passed Mint to Ravensara when she held out her arms in a silent request for her niece.
Tira's eyes sparkled behind her glasses, ruining the affect of her glare. "We didn't sleep very well last night," she replied primly.
"Someone was making a lot of noise," Chocolate added, her mouth quirking.
Butterscotch, Lemon, and Ravensara all exchanged glances, and swiftly hid their smiles in their teacups. Mint giggled, sensing the joke, if not the meaning of it.
Marron was not as well informed as his daughter. He looked at them, thoroughly confused.
*What are they talking about? I never heard anything. I had the best night of sleep I've ever had last night, and I sleep really lightly.*
"I don't know what you were doing to Marron last night, Vanilla," Carrot drawled, taking a sip of his tea, "but whatever it was, he must have liked it. I've never heard him moan that loudly before."
"We'll have to compare notes later," Chocolate said to Vanilla, glancing at Carrot with a speculative gleam in her blue eyes.
*Oh my god . . . they heard us?!*
Marron flushed crimson, but Vanilla just smiled serenely and slipped her arm around his shoulders, squeezing lightly.
Butterscotch grinned proudly, pouring herself another cup of tea. Lemon laughed, and Ravensara hid another smile in her teacup, bouncing Mint in her arms as she did so with practiced ease.
"I could say something," Butterscotch said graciously, "but just this once, I'll leave you alone, Marron. Your brother is doing my job for me rather nicely, don't you think?" The six around the table all laughed, and Marron blushed again. "I'm just happy that everything is all right between you two now," she added with a self-congratulatory smirk at Lemon and Ravensara.
"I knew the Ice Maiden would fall hard when she finally fell in love," Ravensara said to Lemon, beaming with pride. "Didn't she?" she cooed to Mint, who giggled again.
Lemon's green eyes sparkled with amusement. "Who won the betting pool for the date of her wedding?"
"Strangely enough, Rice Krispie did," Ravensara replied.
Vanilla sighed. "You're all hopeless; I trust you realize that," she replied dryly. "So, how much was the pool up to? Or should I not ask?"
Butterscotch laughed, stirring sugar into her tea. "Don't ask, child; you'll regret it!"
"I already regret it," Vanilla muttered, smiling at Marron. He smiled back at her, captivated by her deep purple eyes.
*Every time I look at her, it's the same thing. I could stare into her eyes for the rest of my life and be perfectly content. I hope that never changes,* Marron thought sincerely.
"Are Amaretto and Tarragon here?" Vanilla was asking.
"Yes," Ravensara said, rolling her eyes. "They decided to borrow your Patchouli set for a game or three."
Lemon laughed fondly. "I doubt that you'd be able to pry them away from it with a crowbar," she said with a wry smile that Vanilla and Ravensara returned.
"Sit down, you two," Tira said. "There's plenty of tea, and Butterscotch made some pastries for breakfast."
"Yeah, after all that exercise last night, you should be pretty hungry," Carrot added with a wink at Vanilla as he and the others shifted their positions around the table to allow the two to sit down.
Marron flushed again, coughing uncomfortably, and the others laughed. He sat down next to the empty chair where Vanilla was apparently going to sit.
"Where is Gateau?" Marron asked to try to change the subject.
Chocolate shrugged. "He said something about going for a walk, I think," she said, glancing at Tira.
Tira nodded. "He said he'd be back around lunch time, I think."
*I haven't had a chance to talk to him to see how he's taking all of this. Maybe I should go look for him, to see if I can explain things a little better to him,* Marron thought uncomfortably.
"By the way, Vanilla," Butterscotch added, "the wood box in the corner is empty. I thought I should mention it so you don't have to go out there and get more wood when I give you another chance to cook." She smiled at Vanilla fondly.
"All right," Vanilla said. "Since I'm up, I may as well just go now."
"You don't have to do that," Carrot interjected. "I'll do it for you."
"No, that's fine," Vanilla said, turning for the door. "I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself, you know." She winked at Marron as she left the room.
*She's leaving so soon?*
Marron hid his disappointment by sipping the tea that Tira poured for him.
Suddenly, he looked up to find Carrot grinning at him. "Yes?"
"You're worse than I thought," he said. "Absolutely, positively gone."
Lemon grinned. "We wouldn't have it any other way," she said, smiling at Marron as he flushed again.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Gateau swung the heavy axe as if it were a feather, splitting the wood as easily as breathing and smooth as butter. The steady rhythm of the axe blade hitting the wood was almost therapeutic, and the monotonous movements helped him to think more clearly. Right now, he had a lot of things on his mind that he needed to work out, and the big man preferred to do his thinking in private. The others in his team were a bit too distracting to do any serious introspection around.
*I should have known better than to listen to Carrot's blabbering,* Gateau thought bitterly as he swung the axe into another log. *He was probably just hoping that all the teasing he was doing would make Marron mad enough to prove him wrong. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up . . . Especially after hearing Marron and Vanilla together last night, I should know by now that I never had a chance.*
He sighed, and set the axe down to carry the split logs over to the woodshed. It was dark and cool inside the shed, an interesting contrast to the heat of the garden outside, considering that it was winter.
*I'll never get used to that. I wonder how Vanilla makes it summer in here all the time?*
He stepped back outside the shed, and headed back over to the chopping block. The walk this morning through the outskirts of the forest had done him a little bit of good, but not as much as the familiar chore of chopping wood.
*I'm still not sure how to take all this,* Gateau thought uncomfortably as he lifted the axe again. *It's still kind of a shock, even now, to think that Marron is married, and even has a kid already.*
He shook his head bemusedly at the thought of Mint.
*I can already tell that Mint's gonna have all of us wrapped around her tiny little finger. She's going to be utterly adorable, and if Marron and Vanilla don't watch it, she'll be spoiled rotten.*
He swung the axe, and the thick log on the block was cleaved smoothly in half. He bent to retrieve one of the halves, setting it on the block. Then he paused to pull his shirt off and mop the sweat off his face with it.
*Kuso! It's so hot! Vanilla certainly doesn't do anything half-assed when it comes to the use of her power. I just hope it has nothing to do with the Forbidden Magic. I don't want to have to carry out a contract on her life, especially after seeing Marron so happy with her.*
Gateau frowned as he cleaved the half of the log into half again.
*I guess I didn't see it coming because I didn't want to,* he thought slowly. *I wanted to make Marron into something that he wasn't, and I never took the time to see who he really was, like Vanilla must have. Kuso, that's painful! My fault, though. I thought that I really loved him. Maybe I was wrong.*
He swung the axe again, chopping the other half of the log into half again, and looked up to see Vanilla walking toward him.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Vanilla protested. "You already chopped more than enough wood for me yesterday."
Gateau smiled at her awkwardly. "It's okay," he replied. "I do this all the time anyway." He'd half-hoped that she wouldn't notice how awkward it was for him to talk to her, but of course she did.
Vanilla frowned. "Gateau," she said seriously, "are you all right with me being Marron's wife? I know that you have feelings for him."
He looked away from her. "Did Marron tell you?" he asked quietly, wondering with a pang what Marron might have said about him.
"No," she replied, to his relief. "I just guessed. He never said much of anything about it. He's been feeling very guilty about hurting you, though, whether you know it or not."
"He has?" Gateau said, surprised.
Vanilla nodded, and took a step closer. "He hasn't said anything directly to me about it, but I can tell that it's bothering him."
Gateau started, looking away from her.
*She's learned more about Marron in three months than I've ever learned in all the years we've traveled together . . .*
Vanilla's slim, pale hand touched his arm, and he looked at her. "Are you all right with me being Marron's wife?" she asked again.
He was silent for a moment, thinking. "You're good for him," he said at last. "I don't think I've ever seen him so happy before."
"But?" she prodded when he stopped.
"But if you ever hurt him, I'll kill you," he said evenly.
Strangely, Vanilla smiled at this. "I'm glad he has friends like you," she said, patting his arm gently. His opinion of her went up a notch, and he couldn't help but smile back at her.
"Thanks," he said, and meant it.
"Would you mind helping me fill the wood box in the kitchen?" she asked then.
"Not at all," he said courteously.
*~~~~~~~~~~*
"You're leaving already?" Marron asked, dismayed.
"Yeah," Carrot said. "You guys need your privacy, and we need our sleep, so we'd better find another place to stay."
"We won't get another assignment for a while," Marron protested, ignoring his brother's teasing. "You could stay here. There's plenty of room."
"You're all welcome to stay as long as you like," Vanilla added, entwining her arm with Marron's without thinking. She noticed that his golden eyes fairly glowed with pleasure when she leaned against him, and smiled inwardly.
"*We* won't get another assignment for a while?" Gateau asked, raising one blond eyebrow. He grinned broadly. "I take it you decided to stay on the team?"
Marron looked at Vanilla uncertainly, but she only smiled at him. "I'm not going to ask you to quit," she told him. "I'd even encourage you not to; I know how much it means to you. Besides, you don't need my permission."
He looked infinitely relieved by her words. "Of course I'm not quitting," he told his teammates, who all smiled.
"Good," Gateau said. "We need you to keep Carrot out of trouble."
"Hey!"
"We'll just be in Split Pea," Tira said.
"We'll come visit you a lot," Chocolate added.
"Yeah, so much you'll get sick of us," Carrot put in with a smile.
"Are you sure that you really want to go, though?" Marron asked anxiously.
"We won't be far, bro," Carrot reassured him, putting a hand on the shoulder of the arm that was not holding Vanilla against him. "Just at the Bratwurst Inn again."
Marron frowned unhappily, but nodded. "That isn't too far," he agreed.
"Is the marketplace in Split Pea any good?" Chocolate asked with a speculative gleam in her eyes.
"A wide variety of merchants are always passing through, if that's what you mean," Vanilla replied. "Why?"
"We need to get you two some wedding presents," Chocolate said with hearts in her eyes. She looked at Carrot, who drew back in horror from her. "Won't it be fun to pick out their gifts together, Darling?" she asked sweetly.
"Uh . . . how 'bout if you go ahead, and I'll catch up?" Carrot suggested, looking around wildly for an escape route.
"Now, Darling, you should know by now that it's not that easy to get away from me," Chocolate cooed, wrapping a proprietary arm around Carrot's neck. He gulped, and struggled futilely for a moment, but was unable to free himself.
"We should find some presents for Mint, too," Gateau said, grinning at Carrot's discomfort. "Kids can never have too many toys."
"It is an uncle's privilege to spoil his niece," Carrot agreed from the headlock Chocolate had him in, his voice strained. "Never . . . ugh . . . ooh . . . too soon . . . ouch . . . to start . . . right, Chocolate?"
"Right, Darling," Chocolate replied, beaming down at him adoringly. "Shall we go?"
"May as well," Tira agreed cheerfully.
"See you tomorrow," Carrot croaked. "Well, unless Chocolate chokes me to death first . . . ouch, oh, ouch! Please, let go . . . need air!"
"Oh, please, I'm not holding you that tightly," Chocolate replied in disgust, releasing Carrot to fall at her feet in an untidy heap, gasping for air theatrically. She smiled up at Marron and Vanilla sweetly. "I guess we'll be going now, but we'll be back tomorrow, like Darling said."
"Kuso, guys," Gateau muttered impatiently. "What's with the long, drawn- out good-byes? We'll be back tomorrow, for crying out loud! Let's hurry up and get to Split Pea before the marketplace closes and we have to listen to Chocolate whine about it."
Chocolate sniffed indignantly, but before she could start, Tira began pushing her away from the porch. "See you tomorrow!" the pink-haired girl said cheerfully as she collected Carrot from the ground.
Gateau sighed a long-suffering sigh, grinned at Marron and Vanilla ruefully, and waved as he followed the others toward Split Pea.
Marron rolled his eyes. "See you tomorrow," he called after them.
"Oh, good, they're finally gone," Butterscotch said as she came up behind them. "I thought they'd never leave!"
"Butterscotch," Vanilla chided, but the midwife only grinned.
"They're odd people, but nice," Tarragon said, coming up from behind Butterscotch with Ravensara, Lemon, and Amaretto.
"Okay, people," Lemon said, clapping her hands briskly. "Let's go now. We've annoyed these two quite enough for one day."
"You haven't been any trouble," Marron said hastily, and jumped when Vanilla elbowed him in his side gently. He glanced at her, and she smiled serenely at him, praying that he would get the not-so-subtle hint and keep his mouth shut.
Lemon noticed the slight gesture, and grinned. She took her husband's hand and tugged him toward the door. "Let's go, heart-mate," she said with a sigh.
"Cheated out of Vanilla's legendary cooking again!" Amaretto wailed mournfully, but dutifully followed his wife out the door with a minimum of argument.
Tarragon laughed at his brother-in-law, and followed them as they left. "Poor Amaretto," he said, his jet eyes twinkling.
"Indeed," Ravensara said in mock-disgust, her obsidian eyes twinkling as well. She looked at Marron, grinning. "You see what you have to look forward to?"
Marron smiled, and looked at Vanilla tenderly. "That doesn't seem so bad," he replied, gently and briefly trailing the back of his hand down her cheek. She smiled back at him, blushing a little.
"Okay, let's allow our newlyweds to be alone now," Tarragon said, taking Ravensara's shoulders gently with his hands and steering her toward the door. "You too, Butterscotch."
The mid-wife grinned. "I think I'll head over to Split Pea to flirt with Ramen for a while," she mused aloud, her pale yellow eyes coyly speculative. She followed Tarragon and Ravensara out the door, but paused and turned back to look at them. "I really am glad that you managed to work everything out," she added quietly, with a smile, and then shut the door behind her.
Vanilla sighed with relief. "Thank the gods, they're gone!" she said emphatically. Marron just smiled at her. "What?"
"Just this," he replied, tilting her chin so he could claim her lips.
"Oh," she said breathlessly long moments later. "You mean, this?" She stretched up on her tiptoes, sliding her arms around his neck and pressing her body to his as she kissed him again.
"Mm," he murmured back with a smile. "Now what?" he asked after several more long moments had passed.
A thin, hungry wail sounded from the bedroom upstairs where Mint was taking a nap, and they both smiled.
"Now I'm going to feed Mint," Vanilla replied. "Then I'll probably go make something for dinner, unless you have something else in mind." She smiled at him mischievously. "How's that sound?"
"Perfect," Marron replied, his golden eyes warm. "We do have three months worth of catching up to do." He ran his fingers through her silver hair, and she shivered slightly at the look in his eyes.
"Very true," she agreed, and slipped her arm around his waist as they walked down the hallway toward the stairs.
*~~~~~~~~~ OWARI ~~~~~~~~~*
Author's Final Notes: Frighteningly enough, I have been getting some requests for a sequel to this story. Honestly, I do have a few ideas bouncing around in my head, and that's where I intended them to stay. However, if you truly do want me to write a sequel, please let me know either through an email or a review, and I might consider it. I'm not making any promises, though.
Anyway, I have some last minute thank-yous to give out:
Tears for Soujiro: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! I had a very hard time writing that wedding scene for some reason, and I'm glad it turned out okay. I hope you didn't miss anything too important in your class. ^_^ I've accidentally missed a class or two for good fanfics as well.
Mothra: (Gee, wonder who you are? ^_^) One of my major weaknesses (as I'm sure you know) is that I keep forgetting that my readers know what's going on in my story if I hint at it but don't come right out and say it. This is why I need reviews, so people can point out major glaring errors, and I can fix them. In my defense (and I know it's not a very good one), the primary focus of this story is Marron and Vanilla's relationship. Vanilla's battle with Bagel and Lox was not meant to be a climatic scene. That comes later. If Lox and Bagel have time to prepare spells ahead of time, then they are very dangerous, which is why they were captured so easily. They were not prepared to deal with Vanilla's magic, however, which I should probably make clearer if I come back and rewrite this later. That's why they were captured so easily. Thank you for your input. ^_^
And I also have three very special thank yous to give to JRM (my first reviewer! ^_^), NCDavis, and Fala (the last two for the valuable tips they gave me. ^_^ Thanks, guys!). No, I'm not trying to suck up. I am honestly appreciative that you took the time to review my story and give me feedback on my writing. That is how we all improve.
For everyone who read this far, thank you very much for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed it.
~ Lady Cianyin ~