CM: Hey everyone! Good news, I found some time and was able to prepare this chapter for you. Hooray! Thanks for your patience and enjoy. :D
VACATION PLANS
"Thanks again for everything," Kylie told both Ritsu and his mother. "We had a great time."
"I'm really glad," Ritsu said happily.
"Keep up the good work, Ritsu," Linda said patting him on the shoulder.
"Thank you both for believing in me," Ritsu belated overjoyed.
"No problem," Kylie and Linda said together before waving their goodbyes and getting into the vehicle with the others. The trip home was uneventful and almost tense as everyone had something on their mind….except for Linda and Kylie.
"What's got you guys all bummed out?" Linda asked after about an hour of absolutely nothing…not even Momiji was saying anything.
Nobody spoke for a while, that is, until Yuki broke the silence. "If you both don't mind my asking, what was your family like?" He asked courteously.
Kylie and Linda exchange glances. "Well," Kylie began. "They're good people."
"Good people who kept their distance," Linda finished.
"We were, I guess you could say, the black sheep of the family," Kylie elaborated. "Nobody really knew what to think of us. What we have doesn't exactly pop up frequently."
"I'm sure you guys can relate considering what you have an all," Linda added trying to help put it into perspective. "Like we told you before, our family either became really distant, they tried to use us, or they became overly protective. My Mom, Kylie's mom and dad, and our Uncle Leo were the only ones that truly cared about us….though most of them were the overly protective type."
"Uncle Leo never was because he understood the curse more than anybody and took time every once in a while to teach us how to control it properly," Kylie continued with a small laugh. "Going out with him was a lot of fun."
Everyone listened to them with interest. They had never heard the girls talk in depth about their family before. In fact, none of them knew hardly anything about the two girls' life before they came to Japan. "After he was gone, well, the leash around our necks was shortened," Linda continued. "Finally we decided we had had enough and just wanted to get away. So we both signed up for the exchange program and here we are."
"If your family is overly protective then why did they let you come to a foreign country alone?" Yuki asked slightly.
"Well….they didn't really. We kind of had to take about a year maybe more to convince them that this was what we wanted to do and that we'd be fine. Even when they finally let us we still had to tell them we'd be fine while at the airport," Linda explained. "It got really annoying but we somehow did it."
"So you don't regret coming here?" Kyo asked them.
"Heck no," Linda said immediately. "Coming here was probably the best idea we've ever had. Although we did almost go to Germany."
"Why Germany?" Yuki asked.
"It was closer to home," Linda replied with a wave of her hand. "Germany was the closest country that I actually wanted to go to….but Japan was my first pick and when we got the letter saying it was approved I was not going to let them stand in my way."
"Germany is supposed to be a very beautiful place with less roads than most countries though the Autobahn was there," Kylie added whimsically. "It was probably one of the safest countries….at least that's what my mom was worried about. But we're glad we decided to come here instead, and we have absolutely no regrets," Kylie finished.
"We're all very glad you both feel that way," Shigure said smiling.
"Why's that?" Linda asked looking into all of their faces.
"It's because we feel that way as well," Hatori explained. Linda smiled at him and her cheeks held a tinge of pink in them.
"So what are you going to do when your school ends?" Momiji asked with a pleading stare.
Kyo bopped him on the head and Kylie and Linda both once again exchanged glances, now beginning to wonder if they had heard their earlier conversation. "Well," Kylie began. "We were thinking of sticking around a little longer. If that was okay anyway."
"Yes please stay," Momiji shouted grabbing onto Linda's arm since she was closest.
"We would all be delighted if you would continue living with us," Shigure said from the front.
"That's good because I don't plan on going anywhere," Linda said with a pat on Momiji's head and a big smile all around. "I hate to say it but now we only really have to worry about whether or not we will be allowed to stay."
"Yes, we will need to speak with Akito about that eventually," Hatori said in a tone that clearly told them all that it was something unavoidable. Not that they needed telling.
After arriving at the house the group said goodbye to Hatori, Haru, and Momiji and then went in to dinner feeling both happy and anxious. There was no telling when they would have to speak to Akito again but they all knew that when that time came there was a good chance that someone was going to get hurt.
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For the next few weeks, Linda and Kylie decided to devote themselves even more to their school work in order to get the max amount of scholarships they could. They were studying so hard that they rarely came into the living room to socialize. When they did they brought their books with them so they could study and be with their friends at the same time. When it got too rowdy though they left because they found it hard to focus on their work. The only big break they got from studying was when they went to work….or on dates with their respective men. One day at work Linda caused something to break, again, and it gave her arm a long but shallow cut.
Hatori was immediately at her side, examining the cut. "What were you doing?"
"Sorry, I guess I wasn't paying attention," Linda apologized.
"Obviously," Hatori sighed before guiding her to sit down in a chair while he cleaned her up. "You always seem to get yourself hurt even when it isn't because someone took your luck," Hatori stated while cleaning up her wound.
"Yeah….I guess I am a little clumsy…more than Kylie at least," Linda agreed with a small laugh.
"Speaking of Kylie, has she been fairing as well as you have been, lately?" Hatori questioned as he got out some bandages.
"Yeah, we really have. At this rate we'll be able to afford staying in Japan. No problem."
"That's good to hear…I was a little concerned if all your hard work was going to pay off," Hatori expressed as he tied the bandages around her arm.
"Yeah so were we…but somehow it all works out," Linda declared launching one hand into the air. Hatori glanced up at her and remembered when such an action would cause her to apologize and blush heavily.
Linda noticed his stare and quickly continued onto another subject. "So I've been told that this upcoming week is Golden Week. What's that about?"
"It's essentially a week consisting of four national holidays, so most people take the entire week off rather than keep having to return to work only to leave the next day."
"Makes sense," Linda said thoughtfully. "So no school then?"
"That is correct."
"I think I like the sound of that. But can I still come to work?"
Hatori smiled. "If you feel so inclined."
Linda smiled and then started to flex her fingers as he had finished the bandage. "Linda…" Hatori started placing one hand on her injured arm. "I want you to be more careful, you may get seriously hurt while I'm not around."
"Don't worry, I usually only relax my guard when I'm with you so I doubt that'll ever happen," Linda told him as she brushed his fringe of bangs out of his face. As she moved it she noticed the tale tell signs of an old injury around his eye. "Hatori….what happened to your eye?" she asked worriedly.
Hatori looked away from her. "It's not important. It happened a long time ago."
Linda caught hold of his arm. "Hatori, please. It's important to me," she entreated.
He looked back at her face for a moment and sighed before sitting down next to her. "Where to begin?" He asked, more to himself than to her. "Years ago, I was in love with a woman named Kana. She, like you, worked with me and we inevitably grew close. One day, we decided to go to Akito and ask his permission to be married."
"You were to be married?" Linda asked suddenly feeling unworthy of him.
"Yes, but Akito wouldn't allow it and he damaged my eye," Hatori explained placing on hand over the eye in question. "Kana blamed herself for my injury and she soon became very ill because of it. So to save her from that awful fate I erased her memories. Now she's found someone else that can make her happy and are married."
Linda looked up and saw the sadness that had grown into his face as the story had progressed. "I'm sorry," Linda said gently placing her hand on his shoulder.
"It's the past," Hatori said placing a strong hand over hers. "And while the memories do linger, I don't have much room for regret. I don't regret meeting you Linda, and I don't regret falling in love with you. The only thing that haunts me is the possibility of putting you in danger because of my selfish desires."
"Trust me, I'm not going to be hurt because of you. If I do end up getting hurt it'll be because of my own clumsiness," Linda told him with a laugh.
"That's not something to be joking about," Hatori scolded his hand unconsciously moving toward her injured arm.
"Sorry, but seriously I doubt there would be anything you could do that would hurt me," Linda amended kissing the hand that was on hers…as she couldn't reach his face.
Hatori's hand slowly slid from her arm to around her shoulders as he pulled her into a gentle hug, hoping against hope that she was right.
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"Thanks again for the outfit, Ayame-san," Kylie said on her way out of work.
"Let me know what Shigure thinks," he called bidding her farewell. Kylie went outside and her face instantly split into a wide grin when she saw Shigure waiting for her as always.
"Ah, is that a new outfit you're carrying?" Shigure said eying the box she had beneath her arm.
"Yes, but you don't get to see until later," she teased walking up to him.
"Ah but I want to see it now," he wined pulling her into a hug and giving her a gentle kiss. "Please?"
"Not this time," Kylie replied pulling away from him and hopping into the car. "I mean it, you have to wait until later."
Shigure sighed and slid into the seat next to her. "You never let me have any fun," he complained starting the car.
"Ha!" Kylie exclaimed. "Well maybe since I'm such a kill joy I'll just give Ayame the outfit back."
"No please don't," Shigure pleaded his hand shooting out and grabbing onto her arm. "I'm sorry, you really are a lot of fun."
"Hehe, good puppy," Kylie said with a grin as she patted him on the head. Shigure pouted playfully but smiled.
The two had gotten unimaginably closer over the past month and Kylie found herself much freer when it came in regards to their relationship. They still hadn't crossed certain lines yet, but that didn't put a damper on the pleasure the two got just by being in the other's company. "So, I hear tell that Golden Week is nigh," Kylie said conversationally.
"Yes, maybe during that week you will be free enough to come on vacation…just the two of us," Shigure suggested hope filling his voice.
Kylie felt her stomach flutter. Even though she had for the most part gotten used to his suggestive comments, every now and then he would say something that got her pulse going. Not only that, but the very idea of being alone with him somewhere… "That actually doesn't sound too bad," she said after some consideration.
"Yes, I already have everything planned and paid for so we'll be leaving the Monday of Golden Week," Shigure explained with a big grin on his face. "I hope you don't mind."
"Thanks for telling me," Kylie said with a hint of sarcasm.
"You're not angry are you?" Shigure asked slightly worried. Kylie heaved an exasperated sigh.
"Staying angry with you would be like kicking a puppy. It's just impossible for me to do."
Shigure stopped the car having arrived at their destination. "It's because you love me so much, right?" he asked turning toward her and placing a hand on her cheek.
"Not at all," Kylie replied jokingly and gave his hand a light squeeze before jumping out of the car. "So what would you like for diner tonight?"
"I don't know about dinner," he said, his grin taking on a perverted tilt. "But I do know what I'd like for desert."
"You're going to be waiting an awfully long time for that one."
"What? I was talking about dumplings of course," Shigure said innocently.
"You're not fooling anyone," Kylie said poking him. "I will, however, make the dumplings."
He smiled and followed her into the kitchen to help out. "I'm glad you aren't in your little shell anymore," Shigure said offhandedly. "I was really worried when you had that barrier up."
"Yeah, well, it helped when you practically pole vaulted over it," Kylie said with a grin as she got out the items needed to make dinner. "And working at Ayame's shop really helped too. Honestly, before then I never saw myself as anything worth looking twice at. I never thought I'd feel this comfortable with myself."
"Why is that? What could possibly make you feel so inferior to the world?" Shigure asked surprised.
"I guess I just never saw myself as attractive," Kylie admitted. "At least not compared to most women."
"I find you to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Shigure said stroking her head. "When you first came here you couldn't even look at me, much less any other man. What got you into such a scared habit?"
"I… had a bad experience back in high school," Kylie said softly. "I fell in love with this guy, and I thought he felt the same. He knew about my secret but he said he didn't care. But once someone found out about us seeing each other, he denied the whole thing, that there was no way he'd date a freak like me," Kylie's voice became a little shaky as she conveyed her story. "Then he had his friends attack me while I was walking home from school. They… well, they didn't manage to do anything too bad before my dad found us and stepped in."
Shigure sat there in stunned silence for a long time understanding why she had been so scared of him before and feeling guilty about some of the things he had said. "I'm sorry if anything I have done brought back those memories," he said soberly pulling her into a hug.
"A little," Kylie admitted. "When I first started getting to know you, I was terrified. But not for reasons you might think…. I was scared because I started getting these feelings for you that I didn't want to be there because I didn't think you could ever possibly feel the same."
"Well, I'm glad that you're feelings eventually came out and the wall has fallen," Shigure told her with a small kiss. "I love you very much and I would never want to hurt you."
"I know," Kylie said softly. She knew she could trust Shigure, and she did trust him, with all of her heart.
"And I will prove my love on our vacation!" Shigure declared.
Kylie playfully shoved him away. "Perv! You just want me for my body."
"Well, I admit that's a bonus," Shigure said, closing his eyes and rubbing his chin.
"Hey! Quit imagining!" Kylie demanded.
"Alright, as long as you make me desert," Shigure said smiling at her.
"You're dumplings will be ready shortly," Kylie responded brusquely, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
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CM: Cuteness! Hehe, next time, Golden week plans unfurl and our two girls are both in for big surprises. STAY TUNED! ^_^