"Married! Really?! Dad, how could you?!" Miyu whined like an angst ridden adolescent, not acting her age at all.
She looked much younger as well with no make up on, cheeks flushed, and dripping wet hair styled in the fashion of a drowned rat's. Wearing a baby blue tank top and pink pajama shorts decorated with cupcakes covered in blue icing and sprinkles only furthered the image. Her foot clad in a fuzzy pink slipper stomped the floor impatiently as she waited for him to say something.
Her father found it difficult to take her seriously which showed when he covered his mouth with his hand to hide his wide grin. A snort and a giggle eeked out from behind his palm as he fought the urge to laugh. At least she could still make him laugh after the recent clusterfuck of epic proportions.
"I remember the first time you visited here you looked something like this. You were only a teenager, a mere child. My baby," he said, smiling broadly at her. Tears twinkled in his eyes.
"Dad, I'm still mad at you," she pouted, folding her arms over her chest. "How could you perform a sacred marriage bond without me even being present? Who does that?! Don't you think I should have had a say in the matter?"
"Oh, bullshit, Miyu. Stop," he commanded her, pulling her into his arms for a bear hug. "You love that boy. You both are so stupid and stubborn about this love thing I thought I'd help you out. Why, if I hadn't taken matters into my own hands, you'd be one of those irritating couples who would date or stay engaged for twenty years before getting married. Besides, I know you two having been doing things only married people should be doing."
"Dad!" she exclaimed, kicking him in the shin.
Mitch Garrison laughed uproariously, squeezing his daughter until she couldn't breath.
"Don't tell me you and mom waited to do it before you got married. I'm sure that only added to the scandal of the half breed you two had made," she sighed.
"Hey," he murmured, lifting her chin with his forefinger underneath to make her look at him. "Don't be mean at a time like this."
Her eyes met his brilliant blue ice irises. She returned his smile that was happy and sad all at once.
"You're the best damn thing that ever happened to me. My only regret is that I wasn't a bigger part of your life," he said, pulling her close for another heartfelt embrace. "I regret letting your mother go without a fight."
"That wasn't your fault," she said with conviction.
She knew exactly who orchestrated getting rid of her mother thanks to the memories she soaked up from Eliza. But delving into the past was not warranted at the moment. Enough new wounds had been created tonight.
"I have something for you. Wait here." His arms reluctantly dropped from around her and he walked out of the kitchen.
"Oh, god, what a night," she muttered to herself, going to the refrigerator.
There was a bottle of white wine in the door and a pitcher of iced coffee on the shelf. Decisions, decisions. She fixed herself an iced black coffee. Idly walking around the kitchen, she glanced at the reminders of Eliza. The monogrammed dishtowels. The knitted potholders. The wine glass beside the sink bearing the red print of her lipstick.
"Oh, Dad, I'm so sorry," she sighed, wishing she had opted for the wine.
Where the hell did he go? she contemplated, sitting on a bar stool to drink her coffee. Her legs hurt. Her head ached. Every heartbeat caused her pain. She tried not to think about what happened. The wine would have been a much better option. The whole damn bottle. Something to numb the pain.
"Sorry," Mitch apologized, walking back into the kitchen with a plain, square brown box. "It took me a while to find this."
Miyu looked at him, then at the box. She set her glass down so she could lift off the lid. Inside was a mask carved from jet black ebony wood and polished to a shiny finish. It bore the likeness of Anubis, the canine headed Egyptian god who escorted souls to the afterlife.
She almost laughed at the irony that the representative god of the guardian was Anubis. After all, her position with the CCG had been to dispatch the souls of ghouls to the afterlife. She had been the exterminator. The investigators could capture and retain. Her job was only to kill without question. She issued a despondent sigh.
Reaching into the box, she carefully lifted out the mask. It was surprisingly heavy. The eye-holes had been cut overly large to permit the wearer to see, even in the periphery, unobstructed. Her fingers trembled as she traced the tall pointed ears and the long canine snout. Every single tooth had been crafted with great detail, including the elongated upper and lower fangs. The lips were separated, receding from the teeth in an eternal, vicious snarl. Adjustable leather straps fitting over the entire crown of the head had been added to the mask some point during use to make the fit more secure. Although no art or archaeological expert, she could tell this mask was an ancient relic so she doubted the straps were a part of the original design.
"The mask belonged to our ancestors. It was made for the first guardian and has been worn until the last century. It hid the identity of the guardian. To protect them from humans. And their own, should anyone try to usurp the power of the spirit," Mitch looked away from his daughter, wiping the corner of his eye. When he turned back to her, his eyes were bloodshot and watery. "You should have this. I think you're going to need it."
"Dad, I - "
"Baby, please," he murmured, placing his big hand on her shoulder. "I love you, Miyu. Don't ever forget that. However, I think our people have strayed too far from our roots and have forgotten our beginnings. We got too close to humans, tried too hard to be like them. I always believed we were superior to humans so there was no need to kill them. Hell," he scoffed, scrubbing his hands over his face after a tear slid from the inner corner of his eyes. "I even fell in love with one. Seems like others in our ranks had different ideas...that humans should go extinct. We're paying the price for their arrogance. We must change again."
"What are you getting at, Dad?" She could tell he was leading up to something she was not going to like.
"I'm not sure what is going to happen now, but I do know we have to leave this place. I need to move the colony. We need to find a new place, away from the terrible memories here and the corrupt spirits. I have to find a home with new, clean, untainted energy and spiritual power."
"I understand. Our memories and emotions are everything to us. They're as important as the air we breathe," she mumbled as if thinking aloud.
"They give us life," he agreed. "Besides, we stayed here too long. We were meant to be wanderers. Always moving, changing. Experiencing new places and people. We became complacent. Stagnant. The spirits surrounding us became defiled, contaminated. We poisoned ourselves."
"Dad, when will I see you again? Please, say I'll see you again," she begged, sniffing back her tears.
Mitch smiled through his tears, leaving them unchecked to run down his bronzed cheeks. He took both of her hands between his, squeezing them as he met her beseeching eyes.
"I love you, baby. Some kinds of love are eternal. Distance won't mean I won't love you anymore. It never has," he scoffed, giving her a toothy grin beneath the tide of tears. "I still love your mother. Time, her death, not even Eliza could destroy it. Hold onto the love you have with Kuki. Cherish it. Nourish it. Make it grow. Go back to Tokyo. Be a wife. Be a mother. Be whatever you want to be, but most of all be happy. Live like tomorrow doesn't exist, and love like there's an eternity before you."
"Dad, those are the most amazing words you've ever said to me" she giggled, joy spilling into her sorrow. Happy and unhappy tears streamed from her eyes. "Dammit. You made me cry."
"I'm sure it's not the first time. I'm so sorry. If only I had..." His words trailed off, saturated with a devastating despair that stabbed her heart like a knife. He pulled her forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "You should go to bed. You need sleep."
"I love you, Dad," she sniffed, suddenly too exhausted to argue. She stood up, enveloping her father in a bone crushing hug.
Miyu wiped away her tears with the back of her hand as she trudged up the back stairs to her bedroom. She was glad to see Kuki was still awake. He sat propped up in the bed shirtless, which was unusual for him. Typically he wore a full set of pajamas whether it be a button down shirt and matching pants set or a plain t-shirt and sleep pants. The cover gathered so low on his hips she wondered if he was naked.
"Are you okay?" he asked, setting the book he had been reading on the nightstand.
"Yeah. I'm - " She tried to say fine, but it wouldn't come out because she was anything but fine. "It's just been a really rough night."
"That's an understatement," he muttered. "Tell me one thing...what were you thinking after killing Vida?"
"Vida was already dying," she corrected him, blood rising to her face from humiliation and anger induced by her remorse. "I simply gave her the send off she needed for her soul to find eternal rest."
"Your father explained that. I'm asking because I didn't like the look in your eyes afterward. It was as if all of your emotions had died too. I was frightened by that look."
"I-I was n-numb, th-that's all," she stammered. "I couldn't handle all of the emotions, all the memories. Kuki, I can't..." She paused after her voice broke. "I don't want to discuss that right now. I'm feeling...I'm feeling too much, but I can't go numb."
Miyu stood there, staring down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs like a nervous child. Her heart ached because she doubted she would ever see her father again. Her heart hurt for him. He had murdered his second wife who had betrayed him for her own selfish desires, not just once but many times. He still had to explain everything to their two children. As if all of that was not terrible enough, she would be disappearing out of his life just like her mother whom he had loved dearly. At least he had been able to bid her farewell.
"Miyu?"
Kuki extended his hand to her, and she immediately took it. Touching him made her fingertips tingle as if she was drawing strength from his body. She needed his strength more than ever at the moment because she had none of her own left.
"What is it?" He pulled her closer to the bed until she knelt on the mattress beside him.
"Tonight is definitely in the top five worst experiences of my life," she said, her voice cracking with the tears about to break the dam of her crumbling self-control to hold them back.
"What did your father say?"
"It's more about what he didn't say. We said a good-bye that felt permanent. I have this terrible feeling I'll never see him again." Her voice dissolved into a the sob that had been building in her constricted throat. "And it hurts." Her eyes met his that reflected her sadness, her tears. He was crying with her and for her. "Oh, Kuki, everything hurts."
"Let me make it better," he implored her, placing his hands on her hips.
Miyu straddled his hips when he urged her onto his lap. She inhaled sharply when his soft lips pressed a kiss to the hollow of her throat. She raked the fingers of both hands through his silky hair as his lips explored her neck, discovering the most sensitive spots. Her fingers curled into the longer locks at the back of his head, pulling his mouth away from her.
The tiny gasp he emitted made her stomach tighten with excitement. Her mouth lowered to his exposed throat, pressing a kiss to his adam's apple which bobbed up and down under her lips. She dropped another kiss on the side of his neck. The throbbing artery pulsed faster under her tongue that darted out take a taste of his satiny soft skin. Inhaling deeply, she smelled pine, cinnamon, and snow; fresh, sweet, and clean scents with an underlying aroma of spicy cloves. A pleasant, enticing heat spread throughout her lower abdomen.
"Oh, god, Kuki," she exhaled, pursing her lips to kiss his neck again. "You smell amazing. I could eat you alive."
"Mmmm," he hummed deep in his chest. "Don't you think that's my line?"
"Not tonight."
Miyu kissed him, her tongue inviting his to play an arousing game of hide and seek. Her hands pressed to his chest, giving his pecs a squeeze before her palms flattened to touch more of his skin. Bending down, she dotted kisses over his chest between her splayed fingers. Her mouth sought his and found it, her lips pressing firmly, hungrily kissing him. Her hands slowly slid down his chest to his belly. Her fingers traced each hard line of his abdomen while she gave him short but ardent pecks on his lips and cheeks.
"What. Are. You. Doing?" he asked, speaking a singular word between each brush of her lips across his.
"Don't play innocent with me. What do you think I'm doing?" she questioned him in return. Her hand slid under the quilt, grasping his stiff member. She gasped and giggled. "Kuki Urie, you're naked." The impossibly rigid appendage twitched and moved on its own when she slid her hand up the shaft. "And you're so very happy to see me."
"I was waiting for you. It's our honeymoon after all," he said, enclosing her waist with his arms.
"It sure is."
Miyu laughed again when he held her tightly, rolling her over onto her back and lying on top of her. Her laughter morphed into a moan when his lips grazed her neck, his teeth nipping lightly at the sensitive skin. His tongue lapped over the superficial cut, creating a tantalizing prickle, tugging another moan from her. She raised her hips when his hand jammed into the top of her pajama shorts to push them down.
"What if someone hears?" he whispered, gliding into her.
"You didn't already think about that? It's a little late now," she whispered back.
Miyu bit her lower lip to withhold a chuckle when he pushed up her shirt, inadvertently tickling her in the process. Writhing under him, she whimpered and tugged his hair as his mouth suctioned itself to her nipple.
"Oh, you're a horrible man," she whispered, thrusting her hips under him, moving faster to tease him as well.
He released her nipple with a pop. Shoving into her hard, provoking her in the most sensual way, he playfully challenged, "Say it again. I dare you to tell me I'm horrible."
Miyu couldn't say anything. Pressing her hands to his cheeks, she brought his mouth to hers. She moaned into his mouth, effectively covering the noise of her pleasure as he plunged himself into her. Kuki's hand grasped the back of her neck, holding her mouth tightly over his as he groaned to express his own satisfaction. He slowed down to prevent bringing their lovemaking session to a fast end. She matched his deliberate movements, savoring every inch of him. She delighted in each pleasing little thrill that rushed through her body further heating her blood.
They needed the comfort generated by the close intimacy, the joining of their bodies and their spirits. In each other's arms, they were safe, protected. Their world built for two made everything better. She wanted to be with him like this forever. Forever happy. Always safe. When they were together, nothing and no one could hurt them. When their bodies and souls twined into one, they were enclosed in a secure bubble of flawless well-being, a perfect world.
While basking in the after glow, their arms and legs tangled together, Miyu stared at him through hazy eyes. Her eyes locked onto his gray irises that came into clear focus. The tip of her forefinger followed the straight line of his nose, dropping down to his lips, and sliding over his chin.
"I love my husband," she proclaimed softly.
"I love my wife," he returned, bringing her hand to his mouth to kiss the back then each fingertip.
"When we get home, I don't think we should tell anyone we're married."
"I agree. Someone could manipulate one of us into doing anything they wanted by threatening the other." Kuki raised an eyebrow as he held her gaze.
"Don't be angry with him. I don't think his intentions were - "
"I don't care what his intentions were," he cut her off. "He blackmailed you into coming back to the CCG which was something you clearly did not want to do."
"But I told you, maybe I did want to go back," she argued, guilt pricking at her like tiny needles. "I could have said no. You're a big boy, you can protect yourself. But I didn't want to take any chances of losing you."
Kuki grabbed her head, pressing a hard kiss to her mouth before she could say anything else. "You'll never lose me. Whether you like it or not, you're stuck. The point is, we can't let anyone take advantage of us or tear us apart."
"I will protect you at all costs," she promised, pressing a brief kiss to his lips.
"Obviously. I'll do the same for you," he swore. "I will stand beside you and love you for the rest of my life."
"I'll make sure that's for a very long time. I'll take care of you, cook good food for you, make love to you," she added with a shy giggle. "I won't abandon you or leave you for any reason. I love you now, and I'll love you more each and every year."
"I now pronounce us man and wife," he said, making both of them chuckle. "May I kiss the bride?"
"Yes, please."