The Path of Water
By Arlia'Devi
Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.
The Path of Water
By Arlia'Devi
XXI: The Other Bakeneko, Hotaru
Chihiro couldn't say she knew her dear friend Chase's equivalent of a husband, the bakeneko Hotaru. For months, she admitted, Chase had had a sneaky secret second life not even Haku had known about until she had to admit she was pregnant. Chase and Hotaru had been mated for around six months by the time Haku found out, and though there was nothing he could do about it, he was rather agitated he hadn't found out earlier. It was about trust, argued the dragon and then told Chihiro that taking a mate was the equivalent of taking a human husband. Sort of.
"Well not really," he'd said with a chuckle, but he'd 'get into that a little later'.
Chase had lost two of her children; twins, in a pregnancy beforehand three months ago, a month and a half before Chihiro had arrived. Though she mourned the loss of her children, Chase repeated that the gods above must have known an illness struck them and took them away for their own good. The spirit world worked like that, Chihiro realised, some things were better off the way they had turned out, even if it was sad.
Haku had touched Chase's stomach the morning after she'd confined in him about Chihiro's girlfriend's 'chat' about the birds and the bees. He'd smiled and said the baby was healthy, it was developing well and if she wanted to know the sex. Chase said she didn't and Haku dropped his hand from the robes. Chihiro didn't know if the dragon had said anything to Chase about meddling in their affairs like she and Rin had, but if she had to bet any gold on it, he had. The cat, or the sable didn't say anything to her, however and continued life as usual. Haku only smiled when he was asked the question and then walked away.
The following day, Haku was very busy with bathhouse business. Chihiro, dressed thickly in traditional robes as she was down in the bathing quarters for most of the day and the evening, pulled the robe tighter around her body and made for the elevator. She saw Haku briefly in her descent, but he didn't catch the elevator as it spun down to the mess hall for lunch. He would be down there in a matter of moments, however; the dragon had a rather large appetite.
"Sen!" Rin called from a booth her, Chase and the dirty-blonde headed boy Hotaru were sitting at. "Over here, Sen!"
Chihiro strolled over to the booth and Rin shuffled over to give Chihiro somewhere to sit. She did so, and smiled sweetly at the tall, lanky man that was Hotaru.
"Chihiro," smiled Chase, who sat opposite Rin and had a half eaten lunch of sushi rolls in front of her. "This is Hotaru, my mate. And mate, this is Chihiro."
"Very nice to meet you, my lady," bowed Hotaru lowly, his floppy hair hiding his green eyes as he lowered. "How are you this day?"
"Good thank you," smiled Chihiro. "And it's lovely to meet you too, Hotaru."
Hotaru rose and looked toward Chase, urging her to eat more food. His green eyes glittered with affection for the French spirit and Chihiro couldn't help but smile. Hotaru was a nice man, a little taller than most, perhaps likened to a bean but with a handsome sweet face and locks and locks of blonde hair. There were no guesses as to what the kitten's hair colour would be. As Chihiro picked at her food, she wondered if she'd ever get the chance to see Hotaru's neko form…
"So," Hotaru mumbled, confused as to what to address the human by. "My lady…"
"Chihiro," supplied Chihiro.
"Chihiro," he smiled well naturedly. "I hear you're new to the spirit plain; how goes life adjusting?"
"It's hard," Chihiro admitted breezily. "But I think I'm coping well."
"It's very different from human life, isn't it?" smiled the spirit knowingly.
"You know what human life is like?" asked Chihiro. Hotaru nodded, but kept it at that. Chihiro was about to ask further questions onto the spirits connections with the human world, when someone said from above.
"Mind if I join?" Haku smiled and Rin shuffled over, allowing Chihiro to shuffle over and the dragon stole a little bit of cushion from between the two women. "Chase," he nodded in acknowledgement and greetings. "Hotaru."
"Master Haku," replied Hotaru with a nod which turned into a shallow bow. "I was just speaking with Lady Chihiro here…"
Haku smiled at her before tucking into his lunch, his appetite roaring back into life after the measly breakfast he'd had. He would have to start ordering double if he was supposed to give more than half of it to Chihiro when she secretly crept into his quarters at night time.
"I heard about that fire," Hotaru muttered absentmindedly. "I'm glad you came out unscathed; how horrible it must have been."
Haku's eyebrows perked up but he continued eating.
"Yes, well, it was frightening," replied Chihiro. "How is the apartment going? I assume you're going to move up into Chase's apartment – across the hall from mine."
"The kitchen staffs are wild partiers," admitted Hotaru before his eyes darted to Haku. "It will be nice to sleep in peace."
"I pretend I don't notice it," muttered the dragon and went back to his food. "It doesn't mean they don't get punished."
Chihiro narrowed her eyes at Haku, who was very hungry by the way he practically inhaled his food. Haku made Hotaru very nervous – he was his boss for crying out loud, and a rather strict one at that. How was the boy supposed to speak when he was in fear of saying something that might have him turned into a pig for a week? Chihiro smiled sweetly, "Don't worry about Haku, Hotaru."
Haku squeaked and looked over to Chihiro, a piece of octopus looking tentacle hanging out of his mouth. "Huh?"
"You're making him nervous, Haku," Rin spoke up over Chihiro's shoulder.
Haku grinned toothily. Yes, he could smell it in the air. Hotaru was nervous about something – but what? What didn't he want Haku finding out about?
"Go," Chihiro pushed his shoulder lightly. "Go and terrify another spirit enjoying lunchtime."
"My favourite things to terrify are humans," replied Haku with a cheeky grin, making Rin roll her eyes.
"You must have work to do," said Chihiro meaningfully, giving a knowing glare to Haku. He knew they would catch up later.
"A lot," he admitted.
Chihiro's eyes flittered over to Hotaru nervously, who was watching the whole show. The dragon admitted his defeat and hauled himself off of the seat he was sharing with Chihiro. And a shame too, he enjoyed the close contact. "I'll see you later," said Chihiro and Haku nodded.
"If you're late I'll turn you into coal," he warned lightly, looking around the mess hall which was packed with spirits.
"I hear piles of coal make great friends for lizards."
Chase laughed. Haku growled lowly but his lips kicked up into a smile as he walked away, his hands full of empty dishes.
Chihiro looked back to Hotaru who regarded the entire spectacle with large eyes. "We have a special friendship," admitted Chihiro lowly to the male bakeneko. "We've known each other for a long time, I'd advise on not talking to him like the way I just did otherwise one of us may certainly be turned into coal. And it won't be me."
Rin laughed softly and pushed her empty plate aside. "I gotta leave you; the loser staff on floor fifteen have flooded half the floor. Someone's gotta clean up their mess…" Chihiro felt for the poor spirits who staffed floor fifteen – Rin could be tough.
"I wouldn't disrespect Master Haku," mumbled Hotaru. "I am very lucky for getting employment here; I do not want to anger him and be forced to leave."
"How long have you worked at the bathhouse?" asked Chihiro as she picked up a roll with her chopsticks. "Long?"
"No," he shook his head so that the locks of hair fell over his eyes. Chase laughed and pulled them back. "Seven or so years; I worked for Yubaba before the transferral."
"You need a haircut," muttered Chase affectionately. "You can hardly see for your hair, Hotaru."
The spirit boy shrugged apprehensively. He was a very timid man, Chihiro realised and as Chase and her mate got mushier, she scoffed down the remainder of her food and took leave. For the remainder of the afternoon she took a stroll to the pig pens where her parents stayed all those years ago. Thankfully, if Haku found her down here she wouldn't be turned into a pig – maybe she'd get a light scolding and she smirked at what 'scolding' he had in mind, but what was she going to do? Set the porkers free or something? She would be one popular human if she did do that. Besides, there was probably magic over them or the pens, and where would the pigs run to? They were on the edge of a cliff.
Chihiro walked past the screeching stinking pig pens and into the gardens, loosing herself in the beautiful hydrangeas and exotic plants. She must have dozed off in the warm grass, a rarity for the winter, because when she awoke the sun dipped under the horizon and the sky had turned blue. It was night.
"Uh oh…," Chihiro gulped. Haku would be looking for her; he would probably be worried. Scampering across the cliffs again she bypassed the spirits working in the pigpens and ran into the bustling down near the bathhouse. Kivo, the frog spirit was attending the few guests that were arriving earlier.
"Sen," he said roughly, then cleared his throat and said, "Mistress Chihiro."
"Huh?" Chihiro stopped by the frog foreman. "Yes?"
"Master Haku has been looking for you," informed Kivo.
"He has?" Chihiro physically gulped.
"You'd better go see him before you start your nightly rounds," informed the frog, though Chihiro didn't work per se – she filled in where she could.
Scrambling through the back entrance, Chihiro ran into the man bathing floors in search of the dragon boss. Yunnas were starting their shifts and attending guests who had ordered female company. In a simple sense, most of them were prostitutes; Chihiro didn't let it pass them that a simple piece of gold shown by a guest wouldn't get their skirts up. But she had no qualms with the yunnas, unless they began flirting with Haku. Though by the way Haku intimidated the bathhouse staff, including the lovely ladies there, she doubted that it was possible they would risk their employment just to bed the boss. No doubt the very handsome, physically attractive, sexual boss, but the boss no less.
Speaking of the boss, where was he?
"Have you seen Master Haku?" she asked one of the yunnas.
"He was looking for you, Mistress," she replied rather sharply. "I saw him on this floor around fifteen minutes ago; he usually goes from bottom to top in his rounds and then down again – try the higher floors."
"Thank you," Chihiro gushed and ran back to the elevator, pushing the lever up two floors.
When she arrived two floors up, Haku was speaking with a young girl, perhaps fifteen or sixteen in age who attended the baths. He seemed to be speaking rather forcefully as the look on the girl's face was worried and a little scared. Haku was telling her what to do for a guest pointing and directing with an arm toward the bath; the bathhouse girl was nervous and didn't understand a thing.
"H-Haku?" Chihiro spoke softly and the dragon whirled around.
"Oh, Chihiro," he said, taken by surprise. "Where have you been?" then he turned back to the bath girl, "Stay," he commanded, "I'll only be a moment."
Chihiro shrugged sheepishly. "I went for a walk out to the gardens, I fell asleep and lost track of time. Sorry, I heard you'd been looking for me, I hope you weren't worried."
"You shouldn't stray so far from the bathhouse without at least telling someone, Chihiro," he sighed. "What if something had happened?"
"Wouldn't you be able to feel it?" she asked, gesturing to the wired bracelet around her wrist.
"Not soon enough," replied Haku tightly. "Next time, just tell someone so I at least know where you run off to, Chihiro."
She nodded. True, she'd gone without a second thought. This world was dangerous – just as, if not a little more dangerous than hers, she'd come to realise. It didn't harm anyone to tell them where she was going. "You're right, Haku; next time I'll tell someone. Sorry for worrying you."
He sighed. "It's all I ask, Chihiro… will I see you tonight?"
"Would you like to?" Chihiro asked, a smirk kicking up her lips.
"Very much so," he replied huskily, stepping in a little to close the distance. Had there not been spirits around he probably would have closed the distance between their lips. Suddenly, Chihiro wished he would have.
"Alright," she smiled. "I'll be there."
"Good."
"And Haku?"
"Hmm," he hummed softly, his hands not leaving his sides but aching to touch – to run through her hair, or caress her cheek or grasp her hip and pull her in tight…
"Give the bathhouse girl some slack," she breathed. "She's scared silly of you."
"I just hired her," he muttered and his eyes flicked over to the girl waiting patiently by the bath. "Her name is Peata."
Peata stood with her hands behind her back, waiting for her Master to come back form her conversation and gazing up at the architecture of the bathhouse. It truly was remarkable. But Peata had olive skin and long glossy raven hair pinned back into a tight, working bun. She was short and thin, she kind of reminded Chihiro of herself in that way - legs like sticks.
"Peata, huh?" Chihiro smiled. "Let me talk her, Haku; you're not going to get through to her if you scare the wits out her like you do."
Haku grunted but let Chihiro push past her and the human walked into the bath and towards the bathhouse girl.
"Peata," spoke Haku, who was suddenly by Chihiro's side. "This is Mistress Chihiro; she's offered to help you out with your rounds tonight." Peata bowed lowly, her feet slipping on the polished floor. "Chihiro, Peata only has one guest on this bath; it's a forest sprite that soaks in herbal baths." He nodded once. "You know what to do."
"Don't worry about us, Haku," Chihiro smiled. "We'll be fine. You go and finish your rounds and I'll see you a little later."
Haku smiled tightly and nodded before, once at Chihiro and then at the new bathhouse girl, before waltzing off to finish his rounds. Admittedly, Chihiro's eyes fell a little lower as he walked away, but he was hers and it was perfectly acceptable to check out a suitor's behind, wasn't it? Peata cleared her throat.
"Mistress?" she asked. "W-what do we do?"
When Chihiro had Peata in the elevator, she gave the young spirit a rundown. "You address Master Haku as that and nothing else if you want his respect," she said. "The man who hands out the tokens is a big grump. How old are you?"
"Fourteen," muttered Peata.
"Decades? Centuries?"
"No ma'am," whimpered the girl. "Years."
Chihiro frowned. The girl was nothing more than a child. What in the world was she doing working at a bathhouse? She would work on that a little later with Haku. "Alright," she replied. "Well, I'll help you tonight and then I'll introduce you to head of the baths, Rin. She'll take care of you from now on." She was sure Rin would just love that responsibility.
Chihiro and Peata arrived at the foyer and checked to see if the wood sprite had checked in yet. She had not. The bakeneko Hotaru sat by the foyer also, checking in guests as they walked through the front door. He'd also had a haircut; his hair spiked up high and his shimmering emerald eyes were seen by all now. He was rather good looking, Chihiro admitted; the kitten had a good gene pool in regards to looks, at least.
"Hello Mistress Chihiro," smiled Hotaru.
"Hello Hotaru," she replied with a smile, running her finger over the books. "This is Peata – she's the new girl."
"New girl, eh?" muttered Hotaru. "Lucky her, it's gonna be a quiet night."
"Why's that?" Chihiro frowned. It may have been colder than usual, but it wasn't raining outside. Usually it was little slow if it had been raining – spirits, like humans, didn't favour travelling in bad weather.
"Snows are coming," he replied, gazing out to the dark skies. "They're a little over two or three days away yet, but the snows are coming."
"Snows?"
"The snows, Mistress," repeated Hotaru. "The snows of winter. We won't get any guests in while the ground is covered in snow. Oh, wood sprite," Hotaru got out of his seat to bowl lowly as the gangly looking tree spirit wandered into the foyer. Chihiro bowed and ushered Peata to do the same. "How nice it is to see you again, Mr. Wood Sprite sir, welcome to the bathhouse."
The wood spirit gurgled something Chihiro didn't understand but nudged Peata forward. "Greet the spirit and take him to the bath. I'll get the water token."
Peata nodded and stumbled forward, greeting the wood sprite and ushering him into the elevators. Chihiro on the other hand, scampered to the tokens desk a floor above. A few other spirit workers were in line, so Chihiro waited patiently. She knew the manager wouldn't deny her the token now, and she was right. When Chihiro approached, the old grump of a frog called her "Mistress Chihiro" and offered her a good token. She thanked it and left promptly.
After the wood sprite bathed and was shown to his sleeping quarters, Chihiro introduced Peata to Rin. The spirit woman snorted and said, "No way, Sen; you're not dumping this girl on me!"
"I remember those are the same words you said to Haku when he 'dumped' me on you," she reminded and Rin smiled.
"Yeah, but you were a dope; you needed looking after," she replied affectionately. Then Rin looked at Peata, who was playing with her fingers and looking at the floor. "Fine! Kid, come with me."
Chihiro urged her forward and Peata disappeared to the bath staff quarters with Rin, but not before she heard Rin call, "Oi, Sen! Remember you gotta meet Haku. I ain't gonna be turned into coal 'cause you're late again."
Chihiro laughed softy and after riding the elevator up to her floor, took a quick shower and changed clothes before meeting Haku. The dragon had dinner smelling divine on his desk, enough for two and smiled when Chihiro stepped into his office.
"Finally alone," he groaned and dropped a mind-numbing, drugging kiss on Chihiro's lips so that all the woman could do was sigh contently and lace her arms around his neck. In response, Haku wrapped a strong arm around Chihiro's waist, pulling her to him. Breaking the kiss, Haku breathed. "I have wanted to do that all day."
Chihiro smiled and pressed her hand to Haku's lips as he leant in for more. "Later, Haku," she said. "I've been working very hard and I'm very hungry."
Haku grunted and allowed Chihiro at the food while he popped a bottle of wine. Pouring the human a glass, then himself, he sat opposite in the office chair as Chihiro tucked into her food. "How was the new girl?"
"Like a new girl," replied Chihiro with a mouthful of rice. "I dumped her on Rin."
"Chihiro!' Haku cried, a little in shock more than anything.
"What?" Chihiro replied. "She's a bath girl, Rin's her boss. Rin looked after me; I had a little leverage for her to look after her."
"I see, but the term 'dumping' doesn't really sound nice."
"Why?" Chihiro grinned. "You dumped me on Rin."
"I did nothing of the sort," he retorted, sipping down his wine and making a start on his own meal. This time, he had ordered doubles. Haku had a feeling Chihiro hadn't eaten dinner and only serving dessert would have her twice the size she was in half the time. "I couldn't look after you, Chihiro, though I wanted to… Rin was suitable, I trusted Rin."
Chihiro smiled and narrowed her eyes at Haku. "Why did you want to look after me?"
Haku shrugged, his eyes finding whatever that was on the right wall suddenly very interesting. "You were only a small girl, a child; I was your friend. You were scared and…"
"And what?"
Haku sighed then and slipped another salted fish slither into his mouth and chewed it slowly. "I didn't want you to be scared."
"Why?" Chihiro asked. "Why was I so different from all the other people that work here?"
Haku pursed his lips. "I can't answer that, Chihiro."
"Hmm?" she swished her wine glass and sipped is slowly, her dinner finished and feeling exquisitely full. "Rin told me you felt something when you saw me on the bridge."
Haku frowned. "Rin should not speak of what is not hers to speak of," he bit out and then breathed out a long, nervous exhale, the sigh billowing out his nostrils. "I confided in her, soon after you left that I had never felt more connected to a person than I was to you. Not because I had met you before, but I just, I just…," he gave up, the words failing him. "I just knew."
"I reckon at that point, you caught his heart, Sen."
Chihiro smiled at Rin's words and made to reach for Haku's hand across the table, the dragon jumped at the sudden unexpected contact. "Haku," she purred softly and when the dragon turned his head, Chihiro was by the fireplace tucked into the crook of Haku's Victorian lounge and sipping on a sparkling glass of wine. She smiled softly at him, placed the glass on the coffee table and outstretched her arms. "Come here."
Haku melted and fell to Chihiro's knees as the human laughed. No sooner had he scooped Chihiro up than she was sitting in his lap, he reclining on the lounge and Chihiro touching her lips softly against his. Chihiro knelt over Haku as he slouched deep into the lounge chair, so that his soft feathery hair spilled down the side. It was perhaps an inch or two longer than what it had been as a child but the same shimmering olive. Haku smiled through the kisses, his breathing hitched as Chihiro's was, their bodies burning through their clothes. Haku brought one hand up to Chihiro's waist and shuffled up the seat a little more if only to catch her lips in a deep, long kiss that left them both breathless.
Frustrated with the uncomfortable positions in the lounge from underneath Chihiro, Haku grunted and sat up, pulling the woman into his lap and forcing her thighs to rest beside his. Chihiro gasped softly but did nothing to discourage his movements, nor to pull away. In fact, straddling the dragon gave more room to touch his chest, his throat, his shoulders and face as Haku's lips worked against hers in ways that made her lose herself for moments upon moments.
Haku broke a kiss and smiled lazily, his eyes flickering from Chihiro's moist, shining, supple lips to her eyes which were hazed over from lust. "I was lonely when you left, Chihiro," he whimpered softly as her hands moved to cup his face.
She smiled and laughed despite of herself. "Are you lonely now?" she whispered and suddenly, Haku's arm tightened around his waist, pulling her body flushed against his. Red tinged Chihiro's cheekbones as Haku grinned wolfishly.
"No… You are everything to me, Chihiro," he whispered, kissing a thumb that brushed his lower lip. "You give me purpose. You mean more to me than anyone I have ever known. Kiss me, now."
Chihiro panted as Haku's hand buried itself into her hair and brought her lips back down for another long kiss. Chihiro found her body melting into his, pressing her form against his on the lounge as suddenly, something warm and wet passed over her lips. Haku's tongue begged for entrance and she gave it to him, letting him sweep the sugary recesses of Chihiro's mouth and feel him hold her tighter. It may have been bitingly cold winter weather outside, but in Haku's quarters it was hotter than ever. The dragon groaned as Chihiro's tongue cheekily explored his mouth, running over his teeth and lips, dancing with his tongue. Chihiro laughed and forced herself to slow down, coaxing Haku to do the same –to enjoy this embrace while it lasted, to savour it.
A squeak erupted from Chihiro's mouth when she swept her hands into his feathery hair, intent on discovering for herself just how good it felt when she'd discovered something she wasn't at all prepared for. She broke the kiss and smiled.
"So what exactly what did you feel on that bridge?" she intertwined a hand with his, their fingers fitting together like a puzzle. "Tell me, please."
Haku smirked and ran his hands up and down Chihiro's sides, relishing when the girl shivered under his touch. "Breathless," he murmured and kissed her throat softly. "Utterly overwhelmed. I'd met humans before, but none like you. I don't know why you were different, I can't explain it; you just were."
"Why me?"
He chuckled a little, "Only the great gods can answer that one, Chihiro. Whatever the case, I will be always grateful to them and to you. You gave me my life back, my home, and my name." A hand ran down her spine and Haku watched with interest as she gasped. "And I never thought you would be in my arms, Chihiro, though I had always hoped you'd find your way back to me somehow."
Chihiro nodded and sniffed a little, feeling rather stupid for tearing up and tried to blink back the tears. Haku laughed softly and ran his thumb under her eyelids, applying the slightest pressure so that a tear would overflow and run onto his thumb pad. "Don't cry," he smiled and kissed her parted lips softly.
"You knew your little speech would have an effect on me, Haku," sniffed Chihiro. "You're such a jerk sometimes."
"Next time I won't tell you my feelings, then," he pouted teasingly and laughed. Chihiro nudged him playfully.
Haku sighed in a feeling that could only be described at contented and wrapped both his arms around Chihiro's body, one at the shoulders, touching the warm skin of her exposed neck and the other around her hips. The kisses started out slow again, and they attentively explored each other's mouths again just as they explored each other's bodies with curious hands. Chihiro hummed contently as Haku cradled her close, suckling softly on her lower lip and running his hand up and down her back soothingly. She curled into his lap, into his embrace and allowed the dragon to bow his head and kiss her within an inch of her life.
"I, oh, um, Master Haku?" a voice not so far away made Haku snap his head up from Chihiro with a snarl. Chihiro, startled at being caught, leapt out of Haku's lap and scampered to the other side of the lounge, staring wide-eyed at the frog that had just interrupted them. No, stumbled in on them. It was Kivo, the foreman.
"Kivo," growled Haku and the frog practically jumped out at the tone.
"Forgive me, Master Haku!" he whimpered and bowed lowly on the floor. "I had assumed you were alone."
"You did not knock?" he replied, his eyes flashing dangerously. Beside him, Chihiro sighed. So much for going slow without the bathhouse staff knowing; once Kivo left and blabbed, it would be public knowledge by the morning.
"I had not thought Mistress Chihiro to be in your company," blubbered the frog, still searching for that illusive forgiveness Haku didn't bestow so easily. "I apologise one hundred thousand times over, Master Haku!"
Haku sighed and rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. Chihiro grasped his forearm and squeezed it tightly. "It's alright, Haku," she assured softly.
"What did you come up here to tell me, Kivo?" Haku sighed and forced himself to calm down. "What was so important you disturbed me in the middle of the night?"
The frog hesitated for a moment and then drew out the papers from the day. "I was delivering the papers…," it was feeble reason, really. "The new girl wants to say her thank you's to Mistress Chihiro, also. And," the frog gulped. "Yubaba's sister Zeniba is here…"
"Oh no," Haku groaned and looked wearily over to Chihiro who swallowed thickly.
"That's not all, Master Haku," spoke Kivo. "Your friend, Raijin, he left this message." The frog handed Haku a small scroll with his pads. Haku took it and read it briefly before clearing his throat.
"If that's all, Kivo?" asked Haku wearily, tucking the scroll between him and Chihiro.
"Yes, Master Haku."
"Good."
Suddenly Kivo stood rigid, levitated up off the ground and Chihiro gasped as Haku's hand swept over his body. "Haku!" she cried out in shock more than anything else as the frog thumped in daze on the floor. "Haku, what did you do to him?"
"A simple memory erasing spell," he replied. "I don't want the whole bathhouse knowing about what he stumbled on…" he smelt how nervous Chihiro was and soothed her softly. "It won't hurt him, Chihiro." Kivo was gone. "I transported him back to his quarters, and I only erased the memory of us together. Kivo is a gossiping frog; he has never really liked me; he would probably call you some very nasty names and I'd be forced to turn him into a pig," he hummed and pressed his lips against her cheek once, then to the side of her mouth. "It's better like this in the long run." He hummed in appreciation as Haku began to kiss her lips once again, "Now," he breathed. "Where were we?"
But his human wasn't interested in kisses anymore and Haku pulled back, and smiled softly, rubbed his nose against hers and felt her sigh. She was just as agitated with the news and interruptions as he was. "Your grandmother can wait until the morning," he hummed and tucked her weary body under his shoulder. Chihiro sighed and nestled into his chest. "I'll deal with her until then."
"What did the scroll say?" Chihiro asked softly, not being able to disguise the drowsiness in her tone. She felt Haku stiffen slightly and said, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, if it's personal business…"
"No," Haku replied gently and picked up the scroll from between them, but not unrolling it yet. "It was a message from the thunder god; I'm not sure what it means yet. He senses an unbalance in the Western Lands, but it's not my problem."
"Why not?" hummed Chihiro, frowning.
Haku kissed the top of her head. "I am not the Lord of the Eastern Lands, my darling, Sar'onga will deal with any problems the lands have. I have much more important things to look after."
"What like?" Chihiro managed to ask before she drifted off to sleep. She had thought she heard Haku reply, "You", but couldn't have been sure. Soon enough though, Chihiro awoke to being slipped into the bedcovers of her cold room, a fire beginning to burn in the hearth across the hall and Haku placing a tender kiss against her lips. She'd whispered something to Haku, a goodnight maybe, she thought and he'd smiled and kissed her again. Then everything had gone delightfully hazy and Chihiro slipped into a deep, blissful slumber.
This little progect of mine has accumulated over 250 reviews, and I'm so thankful to everyone who has taken the time to review so far, whether you are the greatest and review every update, or you take the time and review when you can ~ I'd like to give a special mention this week to,
sakiza7san7, Lime Toaster Cat (who did a whole heap of reviewing this week and pushed me past 250! amazing!), Randomsam123, Sokka2Me, Alice-Ann Wonderland, Lauren, Paramore-Inuyasha-fan, Vintage Vine, skrt-invisiblereader, Skye Wolfe, and sandraydetera1999.Next time: Is Granny more hinderance than help when she visits the bathhouse?
I'm very tired, please make my day and review! ;D Yeah, review!
Until next time, my pretties.
~ Arlia'Devi.