Chapter 13

Startled awake by a loud rumbling noise, slivers of cold danced along Misaki's skin, causing her to shiver. As she reached around in search of the blanket, she couldn't find it. Even so, she didn't feel like waking up yet, huddling into a ball to keep warm. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be so as a second rumbling noise disrupted her slumbers. Sighing softly, she moved languidly, yawning and rubbing at her eyes as she finally sat up.

"Good morning…"

Turning towards the voice, Misaki found Hei sitting up with his back against the headboard, watching her with a sheepish grin. The sound of rumbling originated from his stomach; he was lightly covering it with his hand in hopes to minimize the intensity of it, though clearly he had failed as it had woken her. It seemed to be in an unending conversation and Misaki giggled as her own stomach answered his stomach's cry for attention.

"Good morning," she replied softly. "Seems like we're both hungry."

"Then we'll have to go down for breakfast."

"You go first. I want to check on Kanami."

"Fine…"

Though he agreed, he didn't let her leave immediately, wrapping his hand around her wrist and tugging her towards him. She squirmed against him, but he didn't release her as he wrapped both arms tightly around her. When she murmured words of protest, he ignored her and buried his nose in her hair. He thought she would complain when she found herself sleeping on his bed, yet she didn't. Smiling to himself, he finally pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head before he freed her.

"Hei…"

"Yes?" he asked innocently.

"… I'll see you downstairs."

Then without another word, she pushed away from him and quickly scrambled to get off the bed. As she left the room without a second glance, Hei chuckled. She had no idea how adorable she was; the way she would protest regarding his embrace, but not convincingly. As it were, she was still too conservative to admit that she enjoyed being with him; that she felt something towards him which wasn't the wary front she put up.

As he climbed out of bed, he softly groaned, his thoughts shifting to all the work that needed to be finished. He had been gone for almost a full week. Though Ricardo could take care of most things during his absences, there were some tasks that only he could complete as they needed his authorization. After breakfast, he would see to it that he had a discussion with Ricardo.

In the meantime, he would enjoy changing into clean clothes and then enjoy a full meal in the presence of Misaki. It had been too long since he felt his belly full. Before he went down, he would stop to visit Yin. He hadn't seen her yet since Ricardo had taken him to his room the moment Misaki had called for him. Due to the exhaustion, he had slept the whole night through, except for that slight interim when he had woken up for a snack.

As he was freshening up, he decided he would need to find time for a bath. Despite changing into fresh clothes, there were still lingers of a pungent odour, emanating from his body; not surprising since he was on the road non-stop for six days and without a bath for seven. Even so, there was no time for that now and Yin wouldn't care. She would care to see that he was truly alive and well, with her own eyes – not that she didn't trust Misaki or Ricardo.

"Good morning," he said when he saw that Yin was awake already.

"Hei! You're back!"

"I missed you," he murmured as he went to give her a hug. "I hope you and Misaki were alright."

"I was fine. I knew you would come back safe and sound. Misaki tried not to worry, but it was difficult for her."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because you know she would want to go with you if she could," Yin answered with a smile. "Besides that, we were fine. Ricardo took good care of us and Misaki made sure I took my medicine since she stayed with me in my room."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. She said it was too strange to be in her own room without Kanami in there with her. It was nice to have the companionship."

"You wouldn't let me find a maid for you," Hei pointed out.

"Because you wanted to hire twenty of them," she retorted lightly.

"That's not true. Besides, you know it's difficult for me to spend a lot of time with you, not that I don't try."

"It is true, but no, don't take it as blame. I'm content that I still get to be with you."

"I would never turn you away!" exclaimed Hei. "You're the one… No, I didn't come to point fingers. You made your decision and I respect that."

"Thank you. Are you sure you don't need to hurry down to breakfast?" Yin inquired with a soft smile as his stomach grumbled.

"I do, but I'll come back to speak with you again. I'm sure Misaki will be preoccupied with fussing over Kanami."

"A bit of jealousy I hear?" Yin teased.

"Perhaps…"

Hei grinned and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before promising to return. In reply, Yin told him that she would be waiting for him. It was nice to have the balance of the castle restored now that everyone was back. It also felt nice to be back, surrounded by his loved ones.

Since he had lingered with Yin, Hei didn't waste any time and teleported himself to the dining room. As the door opened, he could smell the scent of fresh bread and eggs, mingling together with the smells of meat; the tantalizing aroma causing his mouth to water. In a flash, he was seated at the table, which caused Misaki to give a small squeak of surprise as she was already seated.

"Sorry," he apologized as he piled food on his plate. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's fine," she replied with her hand lightly pressed over her chest. "I should have known since you weren't here when I arrived."

She smiled at him and he grinned back. He couldn't help it since he hadn't eaten well in so long; except he didn't want Yin to think that food was more important than her when he hadn't seen her for just as long as the time that he hadn't seen Misaki. Not to mention, he thought Misaki would have stayed with Kanami longer. Knowing the servant girl, she was already back at work; a situation that Misaki wasn't going to be too thrilled about.

"Kanami, come sit with me," Misaki demanded.

"In a moment. I'm almost finished here."

Frowning as she watched her folding up sheets, Misaki sighed. When she had returned to her room that morning, Kanami was already up and about. Given the experience she had just endured, she should be resting. It couldn't be good for her health without taking time to recover; a necessity for any victim.

"I thought I told you to rest," she finally stated.

"I did. I didn't have to worry about laundry since you only changed a handful of times while I was gone. I hope you took baths; there is typically more clothes to wash than this."

"How could I possibly worry about such a thing when I didn't know how you or Hei were doing?"

"That's true…"

"Besides, who would help me?" she inquired. "Ricardo? Yin? No, I did as Yin did and we wiped ourselves down, but that was it."

"Oh Mistress… I'll go draw a bath right now."

"… No, sit down right now," Misaki said in a tone of voice she usually reserved for lecturing her subordinates.

"Mistress?"

"Are you purposely disregarding my instructions?"

"No, of course not!" exclaimed Kanami. "But there are…"

"I said sit and I mean sit. None of that is important right now."

"… Yes Mistress."

Kanami glanced at her sheepishly before she put aside the basket of unfolded sheets. As Kanami was making her way towards her, Misaki patted the arm of the chair next to her. Frowning for just a slight second, Kanami finally sat down as she had been demanded to do.

"Now then, we can have our discussion."

After her outburst, Kanami seemed subdued and Misaki knew how seriously she took her duties. At the same time, she had been forced to use such a harsh tone of voice; it wasn't like she wanted to. But really, the girl was too much sometimes, only resting for one night before continuing her regular chores.

"I'm not truly upset with you," Misaki stated, giving her a smile, "but you haven't rested enough since your return. Neither have you updated me regarding your ordeal. I would like to know how you fared."

"… Well, nothing really happened," she answered slowly, not wanting to anger her mistress.

"You were gone for almost a week and given what Yin told me of your captor, I find that hard to believe. Hei informed me you were fine, but I want to hear it from you."

"I am fine and nothing did happen."

"You were kidnapped and nothing happened? How is that possible?" Misaki inquired.

"Well… Maybe at first," Kanami answered reluctantly. "At first, I found myself in the dungeon – it was so cold and dark, with that annoying taunt of light…"

"Taunt of light?"

"There was this sliver of light, what looked like light," explained Kanami. "But when I tried to make my way towards it, I couldn't."

"Oh…"

"Yes, but that was the worst of it. After I was brought to see their master, nothing happened," she said, purposely leaving out August's rough treatment.

"Not even a hair on your head?"

"No. He put some kind of bracelet on my wrist and had his servant show me to a guest bedroom. It was the strangest thing ever. His servant even asked specifically if I was supposed to be taken back to the dungeon, but he said no."

"Hm… That is really strange, though I'm really glad. You do not belong in the dungeon and now you're back safely where you belong," Misaki stated firmly.

"Yes Mistress. It's good to be back."

Glancing over at her friend, Misaki smiled and lightly squeezed her hand reassuringly. No one would take her away unwillingly. With this one attempt, they were alerted to future possibilities so all of them knew to be more careful; especially her because she was the weakest out of all of them – a fact that she didn't like, but couldn't deny.

"So what did you do there?" inquired Misaki.

"Well, I wasn't allowed to leave the castle – that was the one condition. April assured me I wouldn't want to try because I would be frozen if I did."

"April? Frozen?"

"April is a servant of his; one whose position is not unlike Ricardo's. I was assigned to her care and treated as a guest. She brought me my meals and even let me take a bath while I was there. She was very friendly, though she was very insistent that I not do any work – in fear of her master since he told her to treat me as a guest."

"A guest… That is quite bizarre," Misaki murmured.

"I didn't understand either, but it was better than being abandoned in the dungeon. As for the part about being frozen… Their master's power is over ice, just like Master Hei's is over electricity. Somehow, if I disobeyed his orders, he could use that bracelet to punish me. I didn't try to test it out."

"Naturally. And that was all?"

"Mm… Well… Like I said, I asked April if I could help with her work, but she refused to let me. I was treated well given the original reason for my presence there, but it was quite boring," Kanami lied, not wanting to mention anything about July, though she owed nothing to his father. "I was finally allowed outside on my last day there."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I was escorted by their master and we wandered aimlessly in the garden. That was when I saw Master Hei. When I tried to run to him, I was trapped by a barrier that had been put up around me. Next thing I know, Master Hei was fighting him."

"And Hei finally freed you," finished Misaki. "It makes sense that he was completely exhausted upon his return."

"That… That is the weird part. Oh Mistress. I wanted to help; I even willed myself to develop sudden powers, but obviously I didn't. Master Hei asked me how it happened, but I'm not sure…"

"Asked about what?"

"At first, I was watching them intently. They moved so quickly, I could barely follow their movements," Kanami explained. "Then, out of nowhere, I noticed some sort of fog that seemed to surround me. It blocked my view and I thought it might be a trick of their master's to harm me while Master Hei was busy. The fog suddenly started to creep inside. It wrapped around that bracelet I mentioned. Suddenly, it disappeared along with all the fog inside. Next thing I know, the barrier broke. I could actually see it happen like I was in a glass bubble that had shattered into a million pieces. I didn't think anything of it and rushed towards Master Hei. Then he teleported us out of there."

"And you're sure it wasn't you?" Misaki questioned.

"Yes, of course. I don't have that sort of power; enough to counter the strength of a clan leader's powers."

"Hm…"

"Master Hei didn't know either when I explained to him what occurred," stated Kanami. "I thought he would know if any of us were to understand."

"… Well, whatever the case, I'm glad you're safe."

"Thank you, Mistress," Kanami replied with a hint of blush as Misaki smiled warmly at her. "I… I hope I'm not speaking out of place…"

"No, of course not."

Kanami stared at her mistress for a moment as she tried to organize her thoughts. She didn't truly care to share about the ordeal in Reido, but since she asked… She had no choice. Since their return, she had been hoping to tell her mistress about her master's headlong, reckless rush to get back; in hopes that it would improve their relationship, but she wasn't certain if she should since that was sticking her nose into her superiors' personal affairs.

"What is it?" Misaki asked gently, noticing the slight frown on the girl's face. "You have my permission to speak openly."

"I… I hope you do not think I'm being impertinent… But I thought you should know about Master…"

"Hei? What is it?"

"I tried to reason with him since it takes a minimum of three days to return here from Reido, but he wouldn't listen. There wasn't much food for us to share and he would not rest, except for short breaks to eat or um… Relieve himself. When I dared to ask what the hurry was, he said he didn't want you to worry for overly long… He knew you would be anxious given my disappearance."

Hearing her words, Misaki couldn't help it when she felt heat touch her cheeks. She had assumed that he was tired after fighting November, not from rushing back on an empty stomach without rest – even after fighting his nemesis. It was true she had been distraught when he left, but she didn't think he would behave so rashly because of her.

"Master really cares about you – a lot," Kanami said softly.

"I… Know," Misaki replied lamely with a tiny smile. "Thank you for telling me."

"You're not upset?"

"Of course not," she retorted lightly. "Speaking of which, I should go check on him. Based on what you've told me, he's probably back at work already. Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Yes Mistress."

"No working," Misaki warned. "I will have Ricardo bring up a tea tray for you. I want you to rest for one more day before you resume your duties."

"… Mistress… Yes Mistress," she replied reluctantly.

Quietly leaving her bedroom, Misaki sighed softly. She finally understand what it felt like for her mother as she had always been on her case for working too hard. Now, not only did she have one stubborn person to coax away from work, but two – both Kanami and Hei had no regard for their health.

Though nothing had happened to her while she was with the enemy, thankfully, there had still be days of uncomfortable travel. It was only appropriate that she spend some time recuperating before she went back to work. Instead, she had only slept for one night at home before resuming her normal tasks.

As for Hei… Misaki recalled that he had visited the farm with the gyuni problem before he had gone to retrieve Kanami. Three days on the road, a fight with his nemesis, and another three days on the road – without rest and without food. With all that activity, it would be astonishing if he hadn't collapsed with fever upon his return. He even had the audacity to say he would be alright after one night's rest.

Misaki headed down the hallway of the Indigo Wing and made her way directly to Hei's bedroom at the other end of the castle. Letting herself in, she was not surprised to find it empty when she made her way to the bedding area. This was a case of workaholic taken to the extreme.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she couldn't help wondering if she had been just as terrible while she was on Earth. Somehow, she imagined it to be highly probable. Knowing where to find him, she headed downstairs to his study. She could already see it…

Just as she had suspected, he was in discussion with Ricardo when she entered the room. They turned to glance at her before they continued their conversation. Sighing softly, she marched her way towards them. When she finally stood in front of his desk, she placed both hands on her hips.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked sternly.

"Hello Misaki. I thought you would be with Kanami."

"My Lady," Ricardo said, acknowledging her presence.

"I was, until she reminded me of how insufferable and unreasonable you can be."

"Insufferable? Unreasonable?" Hei echoed.

"Yes. Ricardo, you will see your master back to his room immediately."

Glancing at his master for confirmation, there was no reply, forcing him to turn his gaze back to his mistress. Misaki raised an eyebrow in response as Hei was still seated at his desk, pen in hand. Finally, Hei sighed softly as he put it down and stood up.

"On second thought," Misaki said. "I will help him upstairs. Instead, you can inform the kitchen to prepare a meal for him, along with that lovely blue-green concoction you had brought up the previous evening. As well, a tea tray for Kanami who is resting in my room."

"No," Hei complained as he hated drinking that medication.

Even so, his protest was cut short by a stern glance from Misaki. Ricardo murmured his acquiescence and quietly made his way out of the study, leaving them alone together. When he was gone, Misaki made her way around the desk, placing her hand at his elbow to guide him.

"Now, up to your room," Misaki instructed.

"What did Kanami tell you?" Hei asked, not moving.

"How you rushed back without resting and barely eating since I know there weren't any preparations made for the journey."

"I had Akemi prepare something for me, but of course it wouldn't be as abundant as a meal at home. I had to ration the supplies quite carefully," he said, noting the high colour on her cheeks. "Did she say anything else?"

"… How you insisted the need was there because I would be worried…"

Hei grinned as the blush on her cheeks darkened in colour and she was gazing anywhere but at him. Every word she said was true. He cared about Kanami, but Misaki cared about her more and he cared even more about Misaki than she possibly could about Kanami. Quite disconcerting how accurate the Kaidei clan's visions could be.

She was behaving so adorably that he couldn't help himself from pulling her close. If he had to sacrifice a day of work in exchange for Misaki's undivided attention – well, it was hardly a sacrifice. She gave a squeal of surprise when he held her firmly within his embrace, but she didn't protest. Rather, she lightly pressed her arms against his chest and gazed up at him.

Cradling her cheek with his palm, Hei lightly stroked his thumb over her lips. He searched her eyes for any sign of rejection, but there wasn't any. Smiling, he lowered his face towards hers and lightly brushed his lips against hers. This moment was proof of the progress he was making in capturing her heart as she was already co-owner of his.

Her eyes had closed from the fleeting touch and Hei didn't want to waste the opportunity. Pressing his lips to hers, he applied a light pressure; pressure which she was tentative in reciprocating. Eventually, she gave herself over to his attention; his arm tightening around her in response.

When he pulled away a moment later, she gradually opened her eyes to reveal that they were clouded over with a haze. Encouraged by her response, Hei slowly loosened his hold on her. Misaki blinked at him in rapid succession before she began to regain awareness of her surroundings.

"You said we should head upstairs," Hei reminded her.

"Hm…? Oh… Oh, right."

She continued to gaze at him, giving no indication that she was ready to leave the warmth of his embrace. Chuckling to himself, Hei slowly released her. This time, he tucked his hand beneath her elbow and guided her towards the study door. By the time they reached it, she had reasserted her typical mannerisms, blushing from the obvious effect his kiss had on her mentality.

"I know where we're going," she stated, her voice unnecessarily harsh due to her embarrassment.

"I'm sure you do, my dear, but you did say you would escort me," Hei answered lightly, not fazed by her reaction.

Before opening the room door, he looped her arm through his and rested her hand on his forearm. Her fingers involuntarily tensed as she could feel the strength of his muscles. Hei grinned at her and she had to forcibly tell her fingers not to give in to desire lest she caress his bare arm as they itched to do.

"Shall we go?" he inquired.

"Yes, yes."

Silently wishing she had teleportation powers, Misaki had no choice but to follow him. He had her tucked snugly against him and his pace was disturbingly languid, prolonging every intimate minute that it took them to reach his bedchamber. She was just thankful that he refrained from speaking because she was already having a difficult time ignoring the appeal of his overwhelmingly masculine proximity. To add the lulling lure of his voice would be too much and she didn't want to imagine what foolishness she might undertake because of it.

AN

And there are more cute Hei/Misaki moments... Teehee~

Thank you to those who are reading and reviewing the story! It's really encouraging to hear that you're enjoying it. It seems that this type of story (being AU) isn't very popular, but overall it's nice to hear that it's interesting to those of you who are reading it :)