Title: Insatiable Memories
Author: Sifirela
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I own Noriko, Yvette, Isadora, and the plot, but that is all.
Author's Note: Surprise! I'm actually working on this story! NO lie! So hope you enjoy this tidbit, it's a bit better than usual. If you find any mistakes, please make me aware of them! Yes! Got to a part I've wanted to get to for a while now! :D ENJOY!
Full Summary: Seiji had it all. He was a well-respected Sensei at the Date Dojo, had a dashing fiancée', and had a satisfied grandfather under his belt. He was happy, on the outside that is. On the inside he was torn-torn between wanting something of his own and torn between a feuding battle with his heart. And it all started with a damnable, alluring and tantalizing kiss.
Chapter Ten
The night flown by so slowly, Seiji decided to get up and walk around the forest area one more time. He was slightly hoping to meet up with Nasuti, but knew that was impossible. He was nervous to meet with her anyway. What would she say to what he had done last night? It was rather rude of him to kiss her so intimately, especially since he was subjected to marry in a few weeks.
Propping himself against a door that led to the living area, he sighed. After his walk, he came to the conclusion that he was hoping for something that could never be. The way she would act toward him for his callous move scared him. He was hopeful she was rather too tired to remember, however, he knew how she was.
He remembered with good humor how Shuu kissed her fully on the lips under the mistletoe one Christmas Eve and how she punched him square in the mouth for such an awkward move. Of course, she forgave him for being intoxicated and he apologized for his behavior. It was now all water under the bridge dappled with humor that was memorable now. He ran a hand over his face and yawned. It was crazy how he didn't get an inch of sleep last night except for perhaps ten minutes of solitude through meditation.
His mind started to wonder even more as light filtered through the cracks of the curtains and flitted around the room, causing the furniture silhouettes dance in the morning sun. He basked in the sun as he stayed there and began to fall into a peaceful slumber.
Shuu stretched going down the stairs, one step at a time. It was such a rough night having lost to Touma again and again after Shuu's historical win against the Chess King. He groaned as his sore muscles started to scream in protest from his stretches he performed to loosen their tightness. Upon coming down to the living area, he jumped slightly, seeing the bearer of Korin leaning against the doorframe, looking too relaxed.
Shuu had the urge to wake him with gusto when Touma appeared behind him and whispered."Don't. If you do you'll regret it."
"Regret it how?" He asked, mentally grumbling how unfair it was. Touma merely smirked and chuckled.
"It would be regretful for me to break your finger." Seiji said, one eye opened and looking annoyed.
"You need sleep," Shuu grumbled with a glare at Seiji, who had startled the bearer of Kongo.
"And you need to learn how to keep your snoring down a level. It's hard to sleep when I think I'm about to be attacked by a monster practicing to scare young children. No wonder why Jun had nightmares as a kid." Seiji said, both eyes opened now and focused on the fuming Shuu.
Touma frowned at his best friend, "Did you get any sleep last night, pal?"
"Obviously or I wouldn't want to rip his head off…well even when I'm well rested, he still can get me pretty pissed off."
"I'd suggest you go back to bed, Seiji," Shin said behind him. "I don't want any fights right now on my hands. I don't feel like playing mediator today."
"I wasn't picking a fight." Seiji said, shoving off his support before walking past Shin toward the outside.
"Are you not going to eat?" Shin called toward the blonde warrior.
"I'll pass." Seiji mumbled before walking outside.
"He really has a problem lately." Seiji heard Shuu comment as he left out the door. Seiji had the itch to retaliate, but refused to start a fight so early in the morning. Ryo was sitting on the porch absently petting the tiger that apparently found a way here without being detected. Seiji was about to go back in to go another way out when Ryo stopped him.
"Yo, how about you sit and we can talk." Ryo said without so much looking at Seiji.
"I don't feel like speaking about my personal problems, if that is what you're after." Seiji said a bit snidely. Ryo looked up with his tiger blue eyes filled with some unknown emotion. It was so mixed, that Seiji had a hard time convincing himself that he needed to just go to the other side where the back door was.
"Sit," commanded his leader.
Seiji had never heard Ryo so gruff before; at least not about personal affairs. In fact, most of the time, Ryo was the one to never question anything going on with their private lives; unless it hindered the whole group from fighting. But, as there were hardly any evil out there at the moment or to his knowledge, he didn't think his moods or thoughts would be problematic. Seiji sat on the side of Ryo, at least a few feet away, determining if the raw emotion that was playing in Ryo's eyes was some sort of warning of an impending lash out.
Ryo let out a big sigh and looked at Seiji in the eye. "Naste, her friend and friend's daughter left early this morning."
Seiji's head lifted quickly, giving him a moment of dizziness. "They what? Why?"
"She said it was because she had urgent business concerning a new job." Ryo said with a pointed look at Seiji. "Imagine my surprise when she said this with no further explanation she left, looking pretty distraught. What kind of job would be so important to go home to on a Sunday morning. I could imagine they would leave tonight to get home to rest and go tomorrow. But she had agreed that it would be until Monday that we would stay here, but she just said that it was something she forgot." Ryo sighed, "Touma lent her his car for the duration of the trip. So we'll have to all ride in Shuu's van on the way back." He looked positively annoyed by that fact. It was apparent that he didn't quite like the fact Shuu would be driving; privately, Seiji had to agree. It wasn't like the Bearer of Kongo was fit to drive much of the time. Then again, it was just his very own opinion.
"That's it? Is that why you wanted me to sit?" Seiji asked with a rather sour face. "If that's all, then I'll just take my leave…"
"You better stay seated, Seiji or so help me I'll get Shuu to strap you down to a chair. This is really important."
Seiji sat back down and glared moodily at the small patch of weeds starting to grow near the porch.
"What I wanted to discuss, is that you were the last one to converse with Nasuti." Ryo hesitated, as if he didn't really want to accuse Seiji for anything, though Seiji knew in Ryo's mind, that's what he was doing.
"So what if I was the last one? Does that make it a crime now to talk to Naste?" Violet eyes coolly looked back at wide tiger blue eyes. Seiji was still dealing with the guilt of making Nasuti so uncomfortable, she would take the measure and leave instead of talking it out with him. In some part, he was a little angry that he was getting attacked by his leader for being the last one to talk to her, as if he was the culprit to cause her to leave; even though in truth Seiji felt he was responsible for her premature departure. Hence why he felt guilty.
"I'm not saying you're the reason she left, I'm just wanting to know if she said anything that could have contributed to the real fact of her suddenly leaving." Ryo calmly said with a hint of impatience. This was really getting no where and Seiji felt another spurt of guilt, but he shoved it down just as fast as it almost surfaced.
Ryo looked at him controlled patience, though Seiji could tell if not approached with patience of his own, Ryo could explode any minute.
"She didn't reveal anything that could have given me any reason she wanted to leave." Seiji said quietly.
"Then, why, when she got back from her walk, she looked positively distraught and when asked about you; she almost broke down."
Surprise flitted across Seiji's face, and then he glared at Ryo. "You think I'm the culprit." He snapped, getting up. "Don't." He stared harder at Ryo with raging violet eyes. "I'm not at fault for her leaving so suddenly, and what has happened between anybody and I is none of your business. Why I came on this stupid trip, I'll never know." He spat at the ground. His head was reeling at how he reacted, but he wouldn't stop; not at this point. He was so tired of being guilt tripped to thinking he was the one at fault. "It's silly. Twenty-three year olds getting together for a get together like we're still seventeen and fighting a war. There hasn't been anything going on in the last five years, nothing to suggest that we are needed anyway. Why should we even get together when none of us have any sort of close brotherhood outside the armors." He slammed his fist into the porch's support beam and glared at the blue sky.
Ryo looked utterly surprised at Seiji's unraveling usual calm composure. "I didn't mean it like th—"
"You obviously did!" Seiji shouted. He didn't pay attention to the other four gathering around the porch to see what was going on. "You are blaming me without a doubt for Nasuti's departure! Who cares if she left!"
"Hey now," Shuu warned, "You better stop right there, Seiji. We all care about Nasuti and we don't like hearing trash talk, especially coming from you."
"Shut up, Shuu." Seiji said with a cold, distant voice. Shuu's cheeks flushed pink and he cracked. "You want to hit me? Yes, someone who is supposed to be soo mature, and married and having a child on the way taking up for a woman who makes her own descisions because I don't care if she left! Way to go Shuu, you sure are a family man now!"
Shuu threw himself at Seiji, grasping his collar and thrusting his very red face into Seiji's. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but you're about to royally piss me off!"
Seiji slammed his hands into Shuu's chest, causing SHuu to fall off of the edge of the porch. "You obviously don't see what you want to see, Shuu." He glared harshly at his comrade in arms.
Shin winced, and sighed. "C'mon Seiji, we see what we have to see, because you don't talk to us. You shut yourself in your own wor—"
"Don't use cryptic, I-know-how-you-feel crap, Shin. It's condenscending and rude." Seiji said. He looked at Touma who was shaking his head in disappointment. All four of them looked at Seiji as if he were a three year old throwing a tantrum in public.
"None of you guys understand. NONE." He roared. Seiji took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes.
"Then make us understand, Seiji." Ryo said, grasping Shuu's arm and shoving him back. He could tell Shuu wasn't exactly forgiving at this moment. "Cool it Shuu." He gave a stern glare at the Kongo Ronin.
Shuu relented and opted to stare at the sky.
"No matter how many times I will tell you guys how I feel, you all will never understand." He said shakily…Seiji shook his head. "I'm calling a taxi….I'm going home." When he made his move, he walked past the four, intent looking men. They did not stop him, not out of fear or retaliation, but of fear they would not be able to get him to open up further if pushed.
Yvette stared at the long stretch of road in front of them; somewhat skeptical about the reason why they were leaving. Nasuti had told her that they were going home due to the fact that she had a job opportunity at the local university and if they would leave tonight, it would dampen the chance for her to wake up early.
Yvette wasn't exactly stupid in the knowledge of what might have happened last night. When Nasuti had walked in from her walk in the room she was sharing with Yvette, Nasuti's face was in pain. Yvette had thought at first the walk reminded Nasuti of Bryant, but upon realizing it was something else, Yvette had asked her what was wrong. Nasuti only had shaken her head; to tell Yvette that she wasn't up to sharing with her at the moment, and Yvette feared it would never come to light.
Nasuti had a determined look one her face, almost like a resolve when she told Yvette they were leaving first thing in the morning. Yvette didn't answer or ask why, she just went along with what her friend wanted.
"I'm hungry." Isadora's voice interrupted Yvette's reverie.
"We'll stop in a few. I need gas anyway." Nasuti said in a detached voice.
Isadora didn't argue like usual. Maybe it was the way Nasuti didn't look at Isadora with a smile as she drove or because of her voice, Yvette was just surprised her daughter didn't argue of where they would stop.
Yvette frowned at Nasuti who in turn looked away with sad, distant eyes. Feeling a pang, Yvette was determined to understand later when they were alone while Isadora slept.
She wasn't going to allow her friend to suddenly departure into one of her long, winded depressions because of what might have happened at the resort…
