Castles in the Air

Every cloud has a silver lining

SEASON II

Author: Kanata Saionji

Genre: Romance/Family/Drama

Summary: It's been nearly four months of their wedding. Not much have changed except that they have grown a tad bit comfortable with each other. Living life together isn't so bad. But wait till your past catches up with you. Let's begin the second season of the story "Castles in the Air". We shall hope that the silver lining is still present.

Disclaimer: The characters belong solely to whosoever created them. But "castles in the air" belongs to the author in the general pattern. Thank you.

Dedication: Today is the last Sports Day for me as a student at my School. So, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my School, Dadha Group of Schools, and everybody in it.

Episode 25

The Caring Queen

Akane looked into the pot of boiling soup and sniffed it. With a satisfied smile, she closed the pot and turned around to see a brunet leaning at the door sill to the kitchen, looking at her with a warm and comfortable look in his eyes. She smiled at him and motioned him to come in. He smirked and came into the kitchen.

The kitchen was a medium-sized rectangular room with the right end of the room equipped with the cook-ware with a rectangular dining table for six in the middle of the kitchen.

'Its nearly ten… why aren't you asleep yet…?' she enquired crossing her arms across her chest, with her eyebrows raised. He raised his eyebrows as well and climbed on top of the dining table.

'What are you doing cooking at ten' O Clock?' he asked.

'Its for tomorrow morning…' explained Akane, peeping into the pot once again and then facing Kanata again added, 'I have to let it simmer throughout the night to have a warm soup for tomorrow morning or we'll have to drink a cold gumbo…'

Kanata smiled and said, 'I missed you and Santa a lot…'

'I know…' she said.

Looking into her eyes, a soft sigh escaped his lips. He looked out of the window and saw that it had started to snow. Snow slowly fell from the sky on top of the already snowy ground. He looked at the snow and frowned lightly.

'Miyu is such a nice girl,' said Akane suddenly making Kanata jump, 'and very beautiful as well…'

Kanata didn't reply. He didn't know what to respond to a statement that he was already familiar with. He didn't know what to respond to something that has been making his life happy as well as confused for the last few months.

'Kanata, do you have a problem with Miyu…?' asked Akane abruptly, her face serious.

'What…?' asked Kanata, disbelieving.

Akane sighed and repeated, 'do you have a problem with her…?'

Kanata looked at the smoke that was now emitting from the boiling soup and smiled. He looked back into Akane's eyes and said, 'yes… and no…'

'Now, you are confusing me…' she pointed out.

'I should tell you this…' he muttered and said, 'on the night Miyu and I got married, we decided on a pact…'

Akane looked at him confusedly and asked, 'what pact?'

Then, he went on about the particulars of the pact that he and Miyu decided to have. He continued to how he had been sleeping in the study Room, and how Miyu had asked him to come back to his room. He told her how everything seemed fine until Akira arrived and how he felt o insecure and uncomfortable with both the girls.

'You two are such idiots…' she muttered when he finished his tale. But he had deliberately avoided telling her about what happened after Akira left—about how the ball that the interns to the Internal Affairs put turned out.

'I guess, you do have a problem with her, don't you?' asked Akane after a second-thought.

Kanata sighed and muttered, 'I guess I do…'

'I think I have an idea to what this problem just might be…' said Akane smirking.

Kanata frowned and asked, 'what are you talking about…?'

Akane just smiled and said, 'why don't you go back to your room and get some rest… you have been traveling for a whole week…'

Kanata raised an eyebrow and said, 'right…'

He got to his feet and then moved towards the door. Then, suddenly, he stopped and turning to her, and smiling, hugged her going, 'I'm sorry…'

'So am I…' said Akane, smiling and hugging him back.

He retreated back and smiling asked, 'it's in three days, right…?'

'You remember?' asked Akane disbelievingly.

'How could I forget?' reasoned Kanata, 'that's one of the main reasons I dropped by… I knew for sure he'd forgive me if I remembered it…'

'Yeah…' said Akane smiling, 'he's sometimes a big mush-ball…'

Kanata chuckled and said, 'good night…'

'Good Night…' she replied smiling and he left the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

~~castles in the air~~

Miyu couldn't sleep. She looked around the room that they had given her and Kanata. It was a square bedroom with one door and a bed facing horizontally to the door with a window on the other side and a bathroom to the side. It seemed small when compared to their room at the Castle but it was still warm and homely in the room.

She was squatting in the middle of the bed with thoughtful look spread across her entire face. She wondered how they were going to sleep seeing as they were to share a bedroom. Back at the Castle, they used futons at either side of the bed but the floor was terribly cold and with the snow now falling she was sure neither of them could manage to get any sleep on the floor even with triple futons.

She blew her breath on her hands and wondered where the hell she had left her gloves. She remembered taking it off as soon as they entered the house and warmed up beside the fireplace. She guessed she must have left it at the living room couch.

A soft sigh escaped her lips.

Then, the door to the room opened and in came the auburn-eyed brunet with a calm and serene look in his eyes. He hadn't taken a single step into the room when Miyu frowned and said, 'you don't change even when you come to somebody else's place…'

He looked at her curiously and then smirking said, 'it's not my fault that they shove you into every one of my rooms… first at the castle and now, here…'

She didn't reply but instead turned her head away from him. He smiled to himself and within a few strides, reached the bed and sat down next to her, at the edge of the bed.

A few moments of silence enveloped the couple. After what felt like an eternity, Miyu asked, 'where are you going to sleep?'

Kanata looked at her inquiringly and getting both his legs on the bed, he dropped back on the bed, with his hands behind his head and a smirk placed on his lips.

'Here of course…' he said with his eyes closed and a smirk playing across his lips.

She threw death glares at him and then taking a deep breath asked, 'where am I to go, then?'

Kanata opened his eyes. He looked at her thoughtfully and then getting to a sitting position, facing Miyu, he scratched his chin thoughtfully. Miyu looked at him curiously as he continued to think.

Finally, he exclaimed, 'I know…'

Miyu frowned. Then, she turned a deep shade of crimson as he came so close that their noses almost touched. She didn't move but her neck winced a bit, her entire façade magenta.

He closed his eyes and then, said, breathing on her lips, 'why don't you sleep here… with me?'

'What!' said Miyu, in a husky whisper for her throat seemed to have gotten numb from the sudden heat that her entire body was suddenly emitting.

Kanata opened his eyes and smirked. Then he broke out laughing. He fell on his back on the bed, clutching his stomach from laughter. Heat was almost visibly blowing from Miyu's ears.

'You sh-should've se-seen your face!' he gasped, trying to control his laughter.

Miyu puffed up in anger and got up from the bed, clutching a pillow and a blanket to her side. She started to move towards the door, hitting Kanata squarely on the head with the pillow making him go, 'ouch! That hurts loser!' and clutch his hand to his head.

'You deserve it jerk!' she said, her cheeks still a little flushed.

She turned to open the door when Kanata suddenly called, 'hey… wait…'

She stopped and asked, coldly, 'what do you want…?'

He got down the bed and walked towards her. He pulled away the pillow and the blanket and said with a smile, 'neither you nor I can sleep anywhere else…'

'Why?' she asked frowning.

'Cause Akane hates it when anyone takes her couch…' he said, pulling the pillow over his shoulder and added with a smirk, 'she hit me with a frying pan once… and that was when she was still fourteen…'

'She must be mature now…' suggested Miyu, awkwardly.

'Yeah… if you say so…' said Kanata and dropped the blanket and the pillow on the floor and dropped to the floor and fell on his back with his head on the pillow. He closed his eyes lightly and muttered, 'go if you want to…'

'What are you doing?' she asked surprised, 'the floor's dead cold Kanata!'

'Hn,' was all that escaped his lips.

'Kanata!' she exclaimed sternly.

'Damn Kanata,' he muttered, rolling over.

Despite herself, a smile formed across her lips. She walked over the bed and pulled out the bedspread from the bed. She kneeled on the floor and pulled over the bedspread over Kanata. She touched his brunet locks lightly and went to her luggage to see if she got a spare blanket.

Kanata opened one of his eyes and smiled. He closed his eyes again and thought, 'how can I ever have any problem with her…? Miyu is too…'

'Miyu is too good… you'll fall for her soon enough…'

Kanata's brunet orbs shot open suddenly as the warm voice of the brother to his governess echoed through his head. He shook his head lightly and rolling over, he drifted to a dreamless and slightly shivering sleep.

~castles in the air~

'Achoo!' the brunet sneezed, as he took a seat beside the mauve-eyed raven-haired Santa Kurosu.

'Aw… Is it too cold for the warm King…?' drawled Santa, smirking. Kanata glared at him as he pulled chair further into the table to get a decent distance between him and the table.

'You look a little heated…' observed Nanami who was seated opposite Santa beside Nozomu.

Kanata sniffed and said, 'nothing really…'

His voice was a little heavy and he looked a little red around his nose. He looked behind him and Akane and Aya were busy with the cooking. He frowned and called in his slightly croaked voice, 'when is breakfast? Or have I already missed it…?'

'Patience is a virtue…' came Akane and playfully hit Kanata on the head.

'Ow…' he whined, massaging his head lightly and going, 'ever since you became a Kurosu, you have been very mean…'

'And ever since you became a King, you've been losing your manners…' she retorted.

The brunet opened his mouth to protest when he suddenly sneezed so hard that he looked as though he'd actually fall off his chair. Everybody started laughing. Kanata just sighed and muttered, 'get the breakfast ready already…'

'What's the hurry…?' asked Nanami.

'Well we were thinking about taking a ride… Yue would be dropping by in a few minutes…' said Santa.

'Taking a ride? Where?' asked Aya.

'Well…' started Nozomu when Akane interrupted sharply.

'What do you mean… taking a ride with Yue…?' asked Akane sternly, her burrows furrowed.

'Here we go again…' muttered Santa under his breath making Kanata smirk.

'What are you talking about Kurosu?' asked Akane, furiously, 'whose goanna open the Boutique then?'

'Akane honey…' drawled Santa smiling, getting to his feet and putting his hands on her shoulders sideways, 'I rarely ever get time off work… could you please let me off at least once…?'

Akane glared at him and then finally sighed, going 'if you put it that way…'

Santa gave Kanata and Nozomu a victorious smirk. But it vanished when she continued with a smile playing across her gentle face, 'then, we girls get to come along as well…'

'No way… It will spoil the entire fun of the trip…' said Kanata in his heavy voice.

'What?' asked Akane with her hands on her hips again, 'we spoil your trip?'

'Well I mea—Achoo!' sneezed Kanata again and this time he got to his feet.

'Fine…' said Akane, her arms crossed across her chest, 'go by yourselves… we will find something else to do…!'

'Great…' Kanata retorted, finally getting back his stand. Yet, he still looked a little red around his nose.

'If you think we spoil everything,' said Akane, not backing down, 'then, feel free to leave the house without Breakfast…'

'What?' gasped Nozomu and Santa.

'We don't need your silly breakfast,' said Kanata heavily and just then they heard the main door open and Yue's voice traveled through the house going, 'hey guys! Ready to leave…?'

'I bet Misaki would be glad to give Santa and his friends some breakfast… for free!' said Kanata and then asked Santa in an undertone, 'Yamaguchi is not married yet, right…?'

'Nope…' said Santa but added, 'but she's not single anymore though…'

'I bet her Lumberjack Boyfriend would be more than happy to have you both over for Breakfast!' retorted Akane.

'Yeah… yeah… whatever…' said Kanata and dragged the two other guys out of the room just in time to met Yue at the doorstep, brushing snow off of his cloak.

'Ugh,' exclaimed Akane, 'they are such jerks…!'

Aya and Nanami both exchanged awkward looks as they saw a fuming Akane drop on an empty chair and started on her soup.

Gulping, Aya took a seat beside Nanami and poured some steaming soup into her bowl. Akane was muttering under her breath during which the two caught words like "Kanata", "Santa", "Idiot", "Nincompoop"… etc…

After a few minutes, Aya suddenly exclaimed, 'I totally forgot to tell you something Nanami!'

Nanami looked up from her soup with slightly raised eyebrows and enquired, 'what is it…?'

But before Aya could even start on the subject, a huge yawn was heard entering the Kitchen. Even Akane stopped her cursing. They looked up to see the blonde Queen walk into the kitchen, still looking a bit sleepy.

'Good morning…' she said sleepily taking a seat beside Akane.

'Good morning…' chorused her fellow interns.

'Hey Miyu…' said Akane lightly, with a smile, 'didn't you sleep well last night? You look a little pale…'

'Well…' said Miyu, shrugging her shoulders, 'it was a little cold... it's usually very warm back at our room in the castle… it was very different…'

'No wonder Kanata caught a running nose…' said Akane, 'he hasn't been here for two years…'

'Kanata has a running nose?' asked Miyu, frowning.

'Didn't you know…?' asked Nanami, 'he came into the kitchen, sneezing…'

'He looked so red…' added Aya.

'Where is he now…?' asked Miyu.

'The guys are out for a ride…' informed Akane with clenched teeth.

'Without us?' asked Miyu at once.

'They don't deserve to be with us…' said Akane, flaring up, 'we'll have our own fun…'

'And we are yet to finish that report…' said Aya.

'Correction: we haven't even started it yet…' Nanami pointed out.

The three girls sighed while Akane looked between them. Suddenly, she brightened up and suggested, 'I know… Why don't we go out…?'

'Where to…?' asked Nanami.

'To the Central…!' said Akane, smiling, 'there is a history museum there… And after that, we could go shopping…'

'Sounds like fun…' piped Miyu.

'Yeah… I promised many back at the palace for some souvenirs from here…' said Aya, nodding her head.

'After coming back home,' said Akane, getting to her feet with a gleam in her eyes, 'we could come back to the Boutique and get ourselves new dresses for day after tomorrow… on Santa…'

'Good idea!' said Miyu, cheerfully.

'But what's special day-after-tomorrow…?' asked Nanami.

Akane smirked and said, 'the day that Santa has to spend a lot…'

'But I thought its still three months to Christmas…' asked Aya, raising an eyebrow.

'No… it's not Santa Claus's Birthday…!' said Akane, her eyes glinting in a mischievous way, 'its Santa Kurosu's birthday!'

~castles in the air~~

After a whole day of shopping and trying out dresses for them to wear for Santa's Birthday Party, the three girls sat down to start with their report while Akane was busy preparing dinner. The guys hadn't returned and it was nearly seven. They were starting to get a little worried but none showed it though seeing as Akane was still a little furious at Kanata for talking like that.

Akane was preparing Pumpkin Stew for dinner—one of Kanata's as well as Santa's favorites. But she was a little afraid whether the three would actually make it back that night. Her heart skipped a beat when she wondered whether they might have gone to Misaki Yamaguchi's place.

Misaki Yamaguchi was one of the most beautiful women in the Saio-Hills. She was Akane's second cousin. She is a few years older than them but she always made it a point to flirt with Santa just to make Akane flare up. She is an artist and loved to paint Kanata when they were young. He had to make up many cock-and-bull stories to escape her. From that, Akane was sure that they wouldn't go to her place.

Meanwhile, Miyu had many other things to worry about apart from writing that darn report for Tezuka. Apparently Kanata has a running nose, if she remembers correctly and she knew for sure it was from sleeping on the floor last night. She wondered…

'Miyu!' exclaimed Nanami, waving her hand before the blonde's eyes.

Miyu snapped awake and asked, 'what…?'

Nanami and Aya sighed in unison and Nanami said, 'never mind… let's call it a day… I'm hungry and very sleepy…'

'So am I,' said Aya.

'But guys… the boys haven't returned yet…' said Miyu, concern evident in her voice.

'It's ok Miyu…' said Akane, 'if they come any late, they have to drink just cold Stew… let's eat and hit the hay… it's been a long day for all of us…'

'She's right Miyu…' said Aya.

'Yeah… let's eat…' said Miyu, forcing a small smile.

~castles in the air~

'I can't believe this!' exclaimed Nozomu, 'how long do we have to stand like this…?'

'Just a few more strokes and you'd be done…' said a beautiful raven-haired girl with olive green eyes, 'now, don't move…'

'Really now Misaki…' said Santa, 'I think we have to leave… can't you finish the painting tomorrow…?'

The two boys, from the Castle, were posing for the twenty-year old artist at her home. Kanata was sitting on the floor, near the left end of the blazing fireplace, with one leg bent up and the other lazily lying on the red carpet. Nozomu was leaning his back on the wall beside the left end of the fireplace, in such a way that his side-frame was pictured.

'Why are you whining?' asked Misaki, making a fine stroke of cream over Nozomu's face in the picture. The painting of the two boys was almost complete but the background not so much… She had jut made a sketch for the fireplace and had not painted it yet.

'Can't you finish this any sooner?' groaned Nozomu, fidgeting lightly against the wall. Since he was not wearing his spectacles, he looked even smarter with his twinkling azure-blue eyes.

'I don't see Kanata complaining…' pointed out Misaki, smartly.

'Because, A.) He still has to pay all of you back for running out on the wedding,' pointed out Nozomu furiously, 'and B.) He's asleep!'

'Achoo!'

'He's awake now…' said Misaki smartly, with her eyebrows raised.

Nozomu gritted his teeth and looked at Kanata. The brunet was almost going back to sleep.

'Akane's going to kill me,' Santa sighed whilst Yue sat down at one of the couches laughing his head out at the two models and his friend.

~castles in the air~

'A Lunch and a Dinner,' said Nozomu, 'and this woman just thinks that she owns you!'

'Calm down Nozomu,' said Yue, 'Misaki has always been like that…'

The four boys were trotting in their horses towards the Kurosu Residence. The snow was falling lightly on the half-empty roads. When they had left Misaki's place it was already half past Seven.

Since they had taken a very long trip up the hill and back again, their horses were already very worn out. So, they were trotting instead of sprinting. The guys didn't feel like a fast ride either.

Kanata looked like he was going to fall from his horse from sleep any time. He wasn't even paying attention to their conversation. Nozomu was furious at being used as a model. Yue was trying to calm Nozomu down and Santa was thinking about what to leave everybody in his will if ever Akane tries to kill him that night.

'I should've thought about this before going to her place for food,' said Santa, shaking his head.

'How come she didn't take you two for being her models…?' asked Nozomu while a huge yawn emerged from Kanata.

'She uses us almost once every week…' said Yue, smiling grimly.

'Yeah…' said Santa, 'she always goes nuts when it comes to painting…'

Nozomu sighed.

'Remind me not to go to her place again,' he said grimly.

'I don't think you have a choice…' said Yue.

'Yeah… she wanted to see the girls that cam with you,' said Santa thoughtfully, 'and he especially wants to meet Mrs. Kanata…'

'Achoo!'

Nozomu sighed, again.

'I'm not sure though…' said Santa, thinking deeply, 'whether they would actually come with us… after what Kanata said…'

'I'm sure Akane wouldn't be that mad,' said Yue, 'she's a warm person… she'll be fine with it…'

~castles in the air~

'Where the hell have you been?' came Akane's voice, with enough intensity to break down an entire home. Kanata, who had been sleepy all the way there, was suddenly wide awake. The boys were standing by the house's fireplace, with Akane looking at the lot menacingly.

'It's nearly half-past-eight!' she continued, looking at the lot furiously, 'do you know how worried we were?'

'Akane…' started Kanata, 'we were just at Misaki's place after a short ride up the hill…'

'Did you have anything to eat at all through the day?' asked Akane as though not having heard what he had just said.

'We had dinner at her place…' said Kanata casually.

'Ouch,' said Santa under his breath as he saw Akane's face change, 'this isn't good'.

Kanata looked helplessly at the three other boys as Akane's eyes became a little teary.

'I forgot that she hates Misaki…' muttered Kanata.

Santa sighed and turning to the three boys mouthed, 'just go… I'll handle it…'

'OK…' said Yue and added to Akane lightly, 'I'll see you tomorrow…'

Kanata and Nozomu exchanged uneasy looks and started walking up the stair to their respective rooms. Nozomu was given a small room right beside the two other girls in the second floor. The Guest Room where the couple was staying was in the first floor alongside the main Bedroom of the young Kurosus.

Nozomu walked straight up but Kanata stopped at the end of the stairs with only one step to the first floor and looked down at the couple with a comfortable look in his eyes.

'Hey…' called Santa walking lightly towards Akane, who had her back turned to him and was staring transfixed into the blazing fire.

'I made Pumpkin Stew just the way you two like it and…' she sniffed.

Santa smiled and put his arms around her waist from the back and whispered into her ear, 'I'd like it even if you burned it down… you know that…'

'I was waiting for you all…' said Akane, fighting back tears but she didn't get his grip off of herself, 'but you all think it's better to have dinner at Misaki's… how come you didn't marry her…?'

'Because I love you…' said Santa.

Akane smiled and so did Kanata. He decided to leave the two alone and so he climbed up the stairs, the image of his two friends in an embrace, sharing their love, made him so jealous. But this time not because he was unable to love his best friend… but because he couldn't be like that with her… with the one that he…

'Don't you knock…?'

He smiled at the blonde sitting in the middle of the bed and she turned a bright shade of crimson for some reason at his smile.

'Hey…' he said with his voice still heavy from his running nose.

'What took you so long to return?' she asked sternly.

He gave her another smile but didn't respond. Instead he walked towards the bed to get his pillow and blanket to sleep on the floor again that night. But he hadn't taken one step when she spoke but this time, her voice was warm and sincere.

'Kanata, I don't think you should sleep on the floor anymore…' she stopped probably waiting for his response.

'Why do you say that?' asked Kanata, 'there is nowhere else I could go to…'

'You can…' she started, fidgeting in her position and added, 'you can sleep…'

Kanata raised his eyebrows.

Miyu took a deep breath and said, 'I don't want you to catch a fever… so, sleep on the bed, if you like…'

'What…? With you…?'

Both the teens turned a bright shade of crimson at his words and turned away.

Miyu cleared her throat and said, 'yeah… the floor is dead cold… you might really catch a fever…'

Kanata smiled despite himself at the sight of the blonde blushing like mad. He heaved a sigh of relief and sat down on the bed beside her. She didn't look up at him.

'Thanks…' he said seriously, 'thanks for caring about me…'

End Episode 25

A/N: How was it? Hope it was fine… Now, for today's thought:

If friendship is your weakest point,

Then, you are the strongest person in the world…