This had to be a dream. It just had to be! Every part of her body was trying to dissociate herself from the situation; try to put it on the back burner and force herself to make it and accept it as a dream. However, the warm arm wrapped around her abdomen, the breath against the back of her head, the beating heart against her back, and the slight space where his leg was tucked in between her's was forcing her to the contrary. This was real in every sense of the word. There had to be a misunderstanding. She racked her brain trying to come up with something else, but her mind went blank. No matter the force put behind the remembering process, she still came up blank. First thing was first; getting out of this bed. Preferably without waking the sleeping dog behind her.
This isn't what they meant when they said 'lay down with dogs'!
Slowing her pace to that equivalent of a snail's she reached under the blanket and tried to move the arm draped lazily around her abdomen. She took ahold of one of his fingers, biting her lip and moved the hand away. Okay. This was going well. One step at a time. Small steps. Once she got out of this bed, she could find Kazuma and ask him what the hell happened. Where the hell is Kazuma?! This was his bed. Wait… They… In Kiryu's—no! No! The small smile of victory at moving his arm crashed when a sigh came from behind her, and the arm was pulled from her grasp and wrapped back around her, pulling her even closer. When she left America, she told her mom that she wouldn't drink too much. There were so many different brands of alcohol to try in Japan and since she wasn't old enough to drink in America, she had been excited. But she had promised. At the time, she had thought 'what could happen'? This! This is what could happen!
Who would've though Goro Majima was a portable space heater? Ah! No! Not the point! She exhaled and glanced back at the sleeping dog. He still lay the same way he was before, or maybe even closer. It would've been nice to see him this peaceful if shehadn't been in the bed with him. Holding her breath, she reached for the hand again having to move slightly to grab onto him and remaining at her snail's pace, ended up removing his arm from around her body. With a shaking exhale, she inched herself to the edge of the bed, stopping each time she heard any type of movement from him. Relief moved the rock settled in her stomach slightly at finally being out of his grasp.
When she moved her legs over the side, she turned and looked back at him. He truly did look peaceful. It was also the first time that she was ever seeing him sleeping, so he may look this way all the time. If it wasn't for the extremely awkward situation, she would've felt honored in a way. Having a yakuza let down their guard enough to be seen in their most vulnerable state was a warming gesture. His arm lay in the exact spot she had been, and she noticed for the first time she was seeing him without his eye patch. His eyelids were closed, but the patch still wasn't there. This wasn't the time to appreciate her friends' willingness to show their vulnerabilities! This was the worst time! She thought that she'd end up being cold from being out of the blanket, but the sheets underneath her at the edge of the bed were warm too. Maybe sometime during the night, she had moved over there? It seemed unlikely with the hold that had been around her before. No! She wouldn't think of anything else. Any different explanation would end up giving her heart attack.
Olivia pressed herself off the bed and screamed out. Her legs gave out from underneath her the moment pressure was put on them and she collapsed to the floor where she rested on all fours. The lower half of her body was shaking and every time she moved her leg, it hurt. Her eyes widened and she stared at the floor. This couldn't be happening. She had heard that when… that happens—no. No! What else could happen? How could it get worse?! It couldn't, right? Olivia shook her head, she needed to get up and move somewhere besides this bedroom, but her legs refused to work properly. Stop thinking those thoughts because whenever she did, it would always get worse. She turned and was about to crawl away to anywhere but there, but she stopped instantly when the door opened.
Kiryu stood in the doorway with his hair all tousled in different directions. He looked like he had just woken up as well. The only times she had seen him in the mornings was when he was already fully awake and alert. He looked like her when she first got up. His tired gaze looked from her on the floor to the bed and back to her. There didn't seem to be any concern or shock in his eyes at the scene before him. Which only concerned her more. Had he…? No! Stop! From her perspective, it looked like he was just barely awake. That's why… That had to be why.
"You're up." He muttered. His voice was low and still full of sleep. He was, indeed, barely awake. Kazuma blinked and ran his fingers through his hair. "…Why are you on the floor?"
"Seems ta me like everythin's kickin' in." Another tired voice came from behind her, making her bristle. Knowing she would regret it later, she peeked over her shoulder. Majima was sitting up with his fingers laced together and his elbows on his knees with the smirk on his face; the eyepatch replaced.
Olivia's face flushed the deepest shade of red known to man. There had to be some other explanation than this. Her heart thudded against her ribcage and she glanced up at Kiryu who was had managed to shuffle forward a step. She hung her eyes and screwed her eyes shut.
"We uh…" She cleared her throat. "Uh…"
"Mm?" The taunting voice from the bed asked.
"…didn't do… weird last night…right?"
The silence was crushing. Usually at such a question, Kiryu would jump in and try and assure her but both men were silent. It's just because Kiryu's tired. Right? There's no way that they would end up being together. They were all just friends. Close friends. But not that close! They hadn't—
"Define 'weird'." Majima muttered from the bed.
"You know what I say!" Olivia turned and placed a hand on the edge of the bed that Kiryu was now sitting on; yawning. It was in the same spot that the sheets had been warm. From his tired expression and his return from the bathroom… he had been laying in the bed too. She had been sandwiched between them! She had to get up and go somewhere other than that room in order to clear her head. She tried to press herself back up to a standing position, but her shaking thighs refused to do their job.
"Lemme put it ta ya this way, Kitten." Majima said, leaning back and sighing. She could hear the conceited smile in his voice. "There are three surefire signs that ya rode Railway Majima."
I don't want to hear this.
"Number one: sex hair." Majima leaned up to looked at her, the grin widening on his face. "Which I was right, does look good on ya. Number two: no pants. I like it all off, but hey wasn't my full call… this time."
"I have p—" Olivia looked down and noticed her bare thighs contrasting against the one article of clothing she did have on. And it was one she recognized; a deep red button up. She looked up at Kiryu hoping for some explanation but noticed something. "…"
"Number three, and probably my favorite one: the mornin' after, legs are practically useless." Olivia refused to look at him and looking at Kiryu wasn't any better, so she ended up looking at her own bare thighs. "'specially… the thighs."
Olivia attempted to push herself up again. It was better than before, but it would take her a lot longer to get up. No doubt that both Majima and Kiryu sensed this because she could feel their gaze on her. She silently begged her thighs to work, but they just quivered as if to laugh at her. She screwed her eyes shut and hung her head again. This was the worst thing that would've happened. How did she manage to get into this position? Well, not this specific one, but just this morning in general. The embarrassment was enough to make her want to die. It didn't help that both men were watching her trying to get up. Majima was snickering on the bed and Kiryu wasn't saying anything. It was her fifth attempt before Kiryu spoke.
"… want some pants?"
"…! Yes!" Olivia screamed, looking up at him just long enough to try and glare at him. It didn't faze through his tired gaze at all as he made his way to his dresser. The dragon on his back felt like it was mocking her, the look on its face laughing at her. She wanted to tell him to go get her a pair of her own pants, but she didn't want a tired Kiryu rummaging through her clothes. Not even an awake Kiryu would've been okay for that. Kazuma came back and tossed her the pair of pants. All the pride she had ebbed away. She couldn't be picky right now. If she managed to get the clothes on and escape from this room, it would be better than anything she could feel right now. She stopped and noticed something red on Kiryu's chest. "What on chest?"
"…scratch marks." Kazuma muttered.
Scratch…marks…?
"I ain't really sure what happens when ya ride Railway Kiryu. Why don't ya let me know?"
"What?!" Olivia exclaimed, looking over at Majima who's Cheshire grin had widened even further. He was lying. He had to be lying. This whole thing had to be just one big joke. A big joke at her expense. But… then how could she explain the thighs and her severe lack of clothing? No! Oh God please don't. Thinking about everything the least among of possible was the best way to get through this with some dignity left. Her vision turned to Kiryu who was leaning on his arm and was turned to look at her, his eyes still tired. She gulped and looked at his chest. Indeed, plain as day, scratch marks embedded into the skin from his collarbone down to his abdomen. "T-Those aren't—"
"Gotta say, I'm a little jealous of Kiryu-chan." Majima said. "He got a different view than I did. Though, mine was pretty damn terrific too, so I ain't complainin'."
Olivia's eyes widened and her face flushed again. He was lying. They were both lying. She used all her strength to push her body off the floor, awkwardly trying to pull the pants on as she did. Not only did she earn a snicker from Majima, but Olivia heard even Kiryu huff a laugh. This was the worst nightmare in her whole life. She managed to push herself up and sit on the edge of the bed. Sitting within the same room as either man right now was more than torture, but she needed to sit in order to get her jelly legs to put the pants on. She heard a huff behind her and turned to Majima and her throat closed. His back was facing her now, bigger scratches adorned the skin all along his back, embedded into the tattoo. The Hannya mask stared at her, its smile taunting. Quickly, she stood up and held onto the wall, hobbling towards the bathroom and slamming the bathroom door behind her, locking it.
Instantly, she grabbed onto the counter and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was sticking up in all directions and in some places plastered to her face. In a morbid attempt to investigate further, she turned her head side to side. Small red marks on her jawline were dotted here and there. Perhaps the worst, she pulled down the collar of the red shirt and felt her stomach drop even lower. In the crook of her neck and shoulder was a large red mark that looked on its way to turning an even deeper color. It couldn't be… It was something else. Olivia poked at it and winced. She wiped her hand down the outside of her thigh and winced again. She held onto the counter and let the pants drop far enough to look at her thigh. Right there. Clearly displayed were finger marks; on the inside of her thigh as well as the outside.
I need to go to church.
Olivia stayed in the bathroom for what felt like hours. During that time, she tried to recall something from the previous night. All she managed to recall was her legs being around someone's waist and someone's grip on her thighs. The thoughts were damning to stay the least. She moved her hair and looked at the marks once more. Sometimes the easiest explanation is what truly happened. It was hard to accept, but… she hadn't been forced. Even from all the marks and everything on her body, she knew that nothing about this had been against her will. It… may be possible that this happened because of her will. Her eyes widened and the blush returned to her face and she quickly looked away from the mirror before her reflection could silently judge her.
Wait. What? What the hell did that mean? That sounds like I—…
Olivia shook her head. They were her friends. After last night, it seemed they crossed a new threshold that she had never intended to cross with one of them, let alone both. Was there any salvaging this friendship after last night? Yeah, she knew that she should've been worried about some other things; Had she been forced? Had she been taken advantage of? But… none of that seemed to matter. It could be because she already knew the answers to those questions. As gruff and annoying as they were, they had treasured her throughout their friendship. They had gone out of their way to make sure that she was happy no matter what they did. Everything that she had said to Keahi was true. They were good men, even though all this happened. This was a strange leap into an even stranger realm. Was it one that they were able to come back from? One thing did give her some peace, if she was drunk last night then it was fair to assume that they had also been drunk. It wasn't them taking advantage of a drunk girl. It would've been an all-around bad judgement between all three of them.
"I… would've liked to have remembered my first time." Olivia muttered, looking at her reflection. "But, if it had to happen this way, I'm glad it was with them."
Wait… what the hell did I just say?
Olivia looked away from the mirror again and down at the sink, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks again. It was just a hungover thought. Stupid lingering thoughts that had no hidden meaning. It was true that it was better to wake up next to one of your friends in a black out drunk state than waking up next to someone that you didn't know from Adam. Or… if you woke up at all. Chills ran up her spine, a new thankfulness for her friends being near her settled into her chest. Her eyes trailed along her exposed skin trying to make sure that there were no other marks. She closed her eyes when she noticed the there were just three buttons done on Kiryu's shirt, covering her chest thankfully. She took a deep breath and shook her head. Hiding out in the bathroom wasn't going to help anything and it wasn't going to help her confront this problem.
Taking another deep breath, she brushed her teeth and hair, having to hold onto Kiryu's pants around her waist lest they fall. Her friends had already seen enough of her body for a lifetime. Olivia cleared her throat and brushed out all the knots in her hair. When she put her hair to one side, the large mark that was already deepening in color was revealed once more. Upon seeing it, she started to remember all the other ones that she had uncovered. Marks that had resulted in pleas—
Nope! Stop thinking like that!
Olivia choked on the toothpaste and coughed repeatedly, tapping onto her chest until she was able to breathe again. If the people coming to kill them didn't succeed, these intrusive thoughts would. A bright blush rose to her cheeks again. Life couldn't continue like this. But she didn't want to admit the alternative. That would open another door that she didn't know the destination to. Not opening though could lead to even more devastation later. Why did things have to get so complicated around them? Even more troubling was that she always had to be stuck in the middle of it. She opened the door to the bathroom and peeked out. She could hear Majima and Kiryu mumbling from further in the apartment. Tightening Kiryu's pants the tightest they could go and holding them securely just in case, she went back to the bedroom still slightly limping and quickly shut the door behind her; locking it for extra measure.
She got dressed into some pajamas. If they went out later, she'd have to change again, but for now pajamas would do. Olivia held onto the clothes that Kiryu had loaned her. Never in her wildest thoughts would she have expected everything to end up like it did. A look over at the bed with its disheveled sheets and blankets only added to the thought she was trying to force away. All this time she had been thinking of Kiryu and Majima as just guy friends; friends that were guys. Simple. Easy. Cut and dry. Nothing more. Last night though… she was seeing them in a new light. A light that had always been there, but she hadn't been seeing either by default or by ignoring it. While Kiryu and Majima were still her guy friends, there was one other thing. They were men. Men. Grown men.
They're men. Real men. And I'm a woman. Now it feels like this was inevitable at some point or another.
Olivia grabbed all the dirty clothes she had in her pile, letting her mind wander. Both men were yakuza. Dangerous in every aspect of the word. She should've been terrified of them, even more so after last night and all the marks telling her what they were capable of. They were more than that though, more than the Dragon of Dojima and The Mad Dog of Shimano. They held their own feelings, worries, desires. Snatching up another piece of clothing, she mentally berated herself for going there again. She went over to the bed and started to pull the sheets off the bed.
Chills went up her spine when she pulled it away. She thought of Majima's arm around her and his chest against her back, how his leg had just been between her's, and the breath against her hair. All the heat from her body went to her face. She thought how close he had pulled her when she tried to remove his arm. The look on Kiryu's face when she noticed the scratch marks on his chest. The ones that had went down Majima's back. It wasn't just that. Even though she didn't remember, she started to wonder what actions had warranted such treatment. How much… pleasure had she been in. What had they done to create such pleasure? It wasn't like she could exactly ask them what they did. She thought about the marks on her thighs and how tight they had to be gripped in order to make the bruises. Whose lips had pressed against her skin to make that mark? What had Majima meant when he said they both got 'different views'? Olivia swallowed and cleared her throat, pulling the blankets and sheets even harder to get them off the bed. This wasn't the thing she should be wondering about her friends.
Actions between her, Kiryu, and Majima filled her head. The times that Kiryu had hugged and wiped away her tears. The time at the hospital when he held her hand all through the night and rubbed her wrist. None of it had been romantic per se, but it had been sweet. Caring even. She thought about the times that Majima and tilted her head to look at him, touched her lips, and wanted her close to him that time in Little Asia before he went unconscious. Again, none of it had been romantic. The friendship between them was abnormal compared to others though.
As she was taking off the pillow cases, she stopped again. This time her mind went to their appearances. Even when she first met them, she had seen how attractive they were. Both in unconventional ways, however. Kiryu always looked mad and hardly ever smiled. Majima wore a snakeskin jacket and an eyepatch. There were about as unconventional as she could think of. But… they were both attractive too; despite their quirks. Kiryu had large hands and with a powerful hug that was oddly calming despite the looming threat of death if he squeezed too hard. Majima was able to make her laugh even when she didn't want to. Suggestive comments that would send some women heading for the hills just made her laugh. His terrible way of expressing emotions was something else attractive.
Olivia took off the last pillowcase and tossed it into the pile, her mind focusing on the one thing she had tried to not think about; their bodies. There was no denying that either of them had amazing bodies. If they were in America, they would be the talk of the town. Especially if they were to walk around without their shirts—or jackets. All the women would turn and look at them. The dragon and Hannya tattoos would be enough to attract some women just by being there. She thought about how many times she had hugged both of them. The time that she was in jail and had wrapped her arms around Majima's waist in front of everyone. Or when Kiryu was shot and she had torn his shirt off his body. At the time, she hadn't focused on his body. Looking back on it now, she cleared her throat. Or when they trained, and he had started to sweat. When Majima had the stitches and she had to take care of it because he wouldn't. All that time she had been face to chest and hadn't thought about it. Now though…
Stop! Stop! They're more than their attractive personalities or their… bodies.
She internally screamed and tossed down the sheets that smelled… really good. Like both of their scents she had gotten used to. Olivia huffed in anger and put some hair behind her ears. This was ridiculous. They weren't sacks of meat with tattoos. They were living breathing people. People she genuinely cared about. Even as attractive as they were, and before they were just 'men', they were her friends. Shaking her head of her thoughts, she turned the doorknob and ran into the door. Olivia cleared her throat and unlocked the door and walked out to the other room where both men were with the sheets in hand.
Majima was resting on the couch, leaning forward and focused on the TV. It was playing another Christmas movie. This one was in English and had Japanese subtitles underneath it. She stood there and watched it for a moment. It seemed like another love story, and it seemed like the love theme of Christmas was worldwide. Kiryu was in the kitchen, fiddling with something. She cleared her throat; Majima didn't turn, but the fiddling stopped.
"I'm going wash sheets." Olivia said.
"Yeah. You know where it's all at." Kiryu said and the fiddling began again.
Olivia turned and headed to the washer and popped open the top. Inside was a few things of her's. Among them was the outfit that she had worn last night. She parted her lips, and she knew that she was going to regret it, but did anyway,
"Why my outfit from yesterday in here?"
"Well, y'know Kitten." Majima said, making her turn. He still hadn't turned from the TV. "It'd be a shame ta throw such a cute outfit onta the floor after we managed ta tear it off ya."
…I don't know what I expected.
Olivia exhaled and tossed the sheets in the washer. While she was putting the soap in, she started thinking again. Just how did they manage to get the outfit off her? Who had pulled what off? Had there been heated breathing and tugging? Isn't that how that… sex usually started. Had she been the one to start taking off her own clothes as an invitation? What had she said or done in order for them to accept the invitation? Was that where she got the mark on her neck? Or the ones on her thighs.
"Harper-chan?" Olivia jumped. She looked over and saw Kiryu. "I think that's enough."
"Huh?" She looked down and saw that she had dumped quite a large amount of soap into the washer. "S-Sorry! I get more!" It wasn't empty or close to, but she still felt bad that her mind had went back to those thoughts and had made her waste something of Kiryu's.
"Are you okay?" Kiryu asked, now more awake than before.
Olivia smiled and nodded.
"Yes. Thank you." She pulled the top down and pressed the button for it to begin.
She walked into the living room and leaned on the back of the couch, watching the movie. It was a very popular movie. Back in America, it was showed at least once every Christmas. It was a love story between a man who was from a different side of the tracks and a woman who judge people by appearances. Rather generic so it could apply to many people's lives without too much of a stretch. It was cliché in some spots, but all good media did. Cliché was just a trope that continued to work over time. She watched it at least once every year. It was surprising to see that it was airing all the way in Japan. One thing she liked about it was how the leading cast wasn't drop dead gorgeous like in many movies. While they were attractive, they were still normal.
"Are you hungry?" Kiryu asked.
"Little." Olivia admitted and then gasped; smiling brightly. "Oh, wait. Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas." Kiryu and Majima said awkwardly.
"Oh, Kiryu." Olivia asked. "Is okay to call my family?"
"Of course. Go ahead."
Olivia went over to the phone and picked it up, dialing the number. It rang twice and Olivia noticed the clock. It was still Christmas Eve over there, but it would be okay. If it was alright with Kiryu, she would just call again tomorrow. On the third ring, she heard the phone pick up and smiled when she heard her mother's voice.
"Hello?"
"Mom! Hi!" Olivia smiled brightly. It was so good to hear her mother's voice again.
"Olivia!" Her mom sounded just as happy. "How are you? Did the girls like the presents?"
"I'm good. Yeah, they loved them. By the way, Merry Christmas!" She smiled. "I know it's still Christmas Eve over there, but the 24th over here is like our 25th."
"It's okay. I'm glad to hear from you either way." Her mother said. "It feels like it's been forever. Have you been doing okay?"
Well, my best friend got shot and almost died. My other one got tortured for a week and almost died. I almost got killed by a bomb. Ethan apparently isn't dead, I punched Keahi in the face so hard I may have broken his nose beyond all possible repair. I left Sotenbori because I was apparently being chased. I got arrested for apparently killing a government official. I'm in an alliance with the biggest clan of gangs in Kanto. I made friends with my friend's foster father who is an extremely powerful gangster. I almost got beaten to death. I almost beat someone to death with my fists. Let's see, what else? Oh! Right! How could I forget? I apparently had a threesome with both of my best friends because I got blackout drunk like you told me not to!
"Yeah of course!" Olivia smiled.
"How's work going?"
"Oh, I… took some time off. I wanted to stay with a friend in Kamurocho. It's in Tokyo." Olivia explained.
"Oh! Is it—huh? Yeah. It's Liv. Yeah, she's staying with a friend. Give me a minute, Olivia." She waited and heard a button beep and she heard her grandparents in the background. "Can you hear us?"
"Yeah. Loud and clear." Olivia said. "Hi Grandma! Hi Grandpa. Merry Christmas. Well, Merry Christmas Eve to you guys."
"Thank you, Olivia, Merry Christmas to you too." Her grandmother said. "So, you mom told us you're staying with a friend."
"Yeah. I sure am." Olivia nodded.
"Is your friend a man or a woman?" Her grandfather butted in.
"What? Jacob!" Olivia's grandmother said and she heard her smack him.
"Well! These are the questions that you need to ask, Ellie." Her grandfather huffed.
"My friend? Uh… he's a man." Olivia muttered.
Three different reactions came from her explanation. Her mother gasped, but it wasn't one out of anger. The gasp actually seemed excited that she was making new friends be it man or woman. Her grandmother let out an 'ooh', and well, Olivia's grandfather huffed.
"What's your friend's name?"
"Oh, what are you going to do, Jacob?" Olivia's grandmother said. "Sit down. Goodness."
"His name? Kazuma Kiryu…" From behind her, she heard shuffling.
"Ooh, that sounds like a strong name." Olivia's mother said.
"Uh, yeah. Kazuma is a very strong man."
"Does he have big strong arms? And a strong handshake? What about piercing eyes that can reach into your soul?" Olivia's grandmother asked.
"Ellie! I'm still your husband…"
"I'm just asking. Goodness, calm down Jacob."
"Um… in that order?" Olivia turned and looked at Kiryu who was looking at her. Obviously. Even if their conversation was in English, his name was still his name. A blush rose to her face. They couldn't understand the conversation, nevertheless, she was still talking about his physical characteristics right in front of him. To her family. "Yes. Yes. And… uh… yes."
"Sounds dreamy!" Olivia's grandmother sighed. "To be young again."
Oh, please don't—
"Kitten! I feel left out!" Olivia heard footsteps come up behind her. When she turned, Majima was close by. "Why are ya only talkin' 'bout Kiryu-chan?! I'm here too y'know."
"Is that another friend?" Olivia's grandmother asked. She could see the stars in her eyes brightening even from Japan.
"Uh… Y-Yes." Olivia looked over, but Majima was leaning on a wall and just ended up leaning closer.
"Sounds like another man." Olivia's grandfather huffed. Normally, she would've laughed at this type of banter. Even though her grandfather couldn't do anything about Kiryu and Majima with the distance—even if they were in front of each other he'd still be shit out of luck.
"Um… yes."
"You're staying with two men?" Olivia's mother asked.
"M-Mom! Don't say it like that!"
"Well you are, right?" Her grandmother asked. "What's the other man's name?"
Olivia turned and looked at Majima who had a big smirk on his face. Even if he didn't understand English, she just knew that they had asked about him. Without taking her eyes off him, she spoke.
"Goro Majima."
"That sounds like a strong name too!" Olivia's grandmother gasped.
"…"
"Are you just surrounded by strong men?"
"Right now?" Olivia asked and looked at Majima and Kiryu. "Yeah."
"Is he strong? Does he have a piercing gaze? Strong hands?"
Please don't do this to me, Grandma.
"U-Um… yes. Yes. And, yes." Olivia turned to Majima and waved her arm to ward him off as he had taken a step closer.
Getting closer isn't going to help you understand the conversation any better. Shoo!
"Sounds like some interesting friends." Her mother said. "I'm so happy for you."
"They're not touching you anywhere inappropriate, right?"
Olivia started laughing, internally wanting to die.
"No Grandpa! They wouldn't do that. Geez! You have such a wild imagination."
"Don't mind your Grandfather. You know how he is." Olivia's grandmother asked. "Can we hear them?"
"I have to admit, I'm curious too." Olivia's mother said.
Why must you all do this to me? Is this a conspiracy?
"Alright…" Olivia muttered and took a deep breath before putting the phone on speaker. "There you go."
"Hello, Kazuma Kiryu. Goro Majima. I'm Olivia's mother. It's nice to unofficially meet you."
"Hi! I'm Olivia's Grandma! She told me how strong and amazing you two are!"
"Grandma! I didn't say that!" Olivia exhaled.
"…"
"Jacob! Introduce yourself."
"…I don't want to."
"That's my husband. That's Olivia's grandfather. He's mad."
Olivia couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. She translated everything for her friends the best that she was able making sure to leave out the 'she told me how strong and amazing you two are' part. They had already had enough ammo to use against her, she didn't need anymore.
"Why's he mad?" Kiryu asked and she heard her grandmother sigh, no doubt excited to hear her friend's voice. To be fair, her grandmother did have a point. His voice was rather… um… no. Never mind. She cleared her throat and looked at Kiryu.
"I'm not mad, Ellie."
"Yes, you are. Your forehead is all smashed together." Olivia translated the best she could with a laugh. Is that what Kiryu's forehead was going to look like when he got that old. "Which one is which?"
"Oh, uh. Go ahead and introduce yourselves."
"My name is Kazuma Kiryu." His English wasn't too bad and able to be understood.
"Olivia you were right. He does sound strong." Her mother said.
When she turned and looked at Majima, he was staring at the phone with his brows furrowed. From his profile, she could tell he was rather awkward with it. After all, the only English that he knew was what she had taught him, the occasional word in signs or in songs. He had told her how terrible of a student he had been and therefore hadn't the opportunity to learn much English.
"Hello? Olivia, are you still there?" Her mother asked.
"Yeah. Hold on a second."
Olivia grabbed onto his arm. When Majima turned his attention to her, she tapped her lips. From out of the corner of her eyes, she could see that Kiryu had turned slightly away. Majima turned to her and nodded.
"Hello. My. Name. Is. Goro Majima." Olivia mouthed each word as many times as he needed before he was able to say the whole sentence. She gave a nod of approval and smiled, turning back to the phone.
"Olivia, they both sound so dreamy." Her grandmother said. "Which one are you dating?"
"You're not touching my granddaughter in wrong places, are you?"
"Grandpa, I'm not asking them that. I already told you they didn't."
"I wanna hear it from them. You're still my little girl even if you are twenty." He pouted.
Olivia frowned and sighed.
"My Grandpa is… asking if you've uh… touched me inappropriately."
Please don't guys…
"Absolutely not." Kiryu said without hesitation and Olivia quickly translated. It may not bring her Grandfather any comfort because he could easily lie, but hopefully it would ease him down a bit.
"Well, lemme tell ya secret, Kitten's Grandpa, don't tell anyone, alright? My—"
"Majima!" Olivia reached up and covered his mouth. Like she hadn't moved at all, he pulled her hand from his mouth and continued.
"—My little Kitten here is an amazin'—"
"Maj—"
"person."
Huh?
"She's…" He cleared his throat and turned away from her slightly and looked at the phone. "She's an amazin' person. Prob'ly one of-of the best. She's a strong woman. Yer luck ta have her as yer granddaughter and ya've got ev'ry right ta be proud of her. Neither me nor Kiryu-chan would touch 'er inappropriately without her approval. She's important ta us."
"Majima-san is right. Harper-chan has helped us more times than we can count. She's a good person. We wouldn't risk losing her."
It took a moment for Olivia to recover from the shock of her friends' words before she translated the words for her family. Her mind was still having a hard time processing all the kind things they had said about her. They could've said everything that happened, even down to every last gory detail. Obviously, Olivia would've made something up, but not only had they lied about everything that happened, but they had said some kind words about her. Words that expressed how important she was. Words that must've been hard for both of them to say as neither were good with expressing themselves.
"There, are you happy now, Dad?" Olivia's mother said. "She's found good friends."
"I suppose so." Her grandfather sighed. "I can't help but worry about her. You know that."
"Don't worry, Jacob. She can take care of herself." Her grandmother said. "And she's got Majima and Kiryu to protect her too! Isn't that so romantic?"
"…Ellie. Really?"
"It is kinda romantic though, Dad."
If you knew everything that happened last night, nothing about this conversation would turn into 'romantic'.
"Guys. Really?" Olivia asked and rubbed her temples. "Kazuma and Goro are friends. That's all."
"For right now." Her grandmother giggled.
"What kind of people are they?" Olivia's mother asked.
"Well, to put it mildly? They're weird." She smiled. "But… they're good people. Kiryu is almost always silent. He's terrible at expressing emotions. His face is always smushed together, so he always looks mad. I think I've seen him laugh once in the time I've known him. But, he's a good man. He's always there for me when I need him. I'm always happy to see him. He's the type to give you the shirt off his back." Olivia froze, remembering just a couple hours ago. "L-Literally."
"And Majima?" Her mother asked.
"Well, Majima is about as good as Kiryu in expressing emotions. That's why… I thought it was really sweet what they said. They're both the type that would probably rather get hit by a car than to tell someone how they're feeling. Majima is always excited and happy though. Almost always suggestive, it's hard to tell what he's really thinking. But… I know he's a good man. He's helped me more times than I can count. He makes me smile even when I don't want to. He let me live and work at Club Sunshine since he's the manager. He's the type that when he cares about someone, he's not happy unless they are."
"Sounds like you love them." Olivia's grandmother said.
"I do." Olivia nodded. "They're an important part of my life. Although we get into fights sometimes… they're there for me when I need them. All the time. In some way or another. Majima and Kiryu are my best friends. I've finally found my real friends. I love them."
Olivia sniffled and brushed some tears from her eyes. It was something that she hadn't been wanting to admit. This sort of connection between friends was a once in a lifetime experience. To have a friendship this deep was something she never thought she could get. For a long time, most of her life, she had thought that true friendship between two people that weren't family was a myth. Something that parents told their lonely children to make them feel more important; to give them hope that there wasn't anything wrong with them. But now… now she knew that this was true. There was a real friendship there. As much as she had appreciated Ethan and Keahi when they were children and had loved them and valued their relationship. Her friendship with Kiryu and Majima reached past her heart and went into her soul. It was so cliché, but it was true.
After her small emotional breakdown embarrassingly in front of her friends and family, they had continued their talk. They had asked many things about her friends; that they did for a living—Kiryu was in real estate and Majima was Club Sunshine's manager—they asked about their appearance her grandmother had almost busted a hip dreaming about how cute they must've been. She even tried to tell her how it reminded her of how her grandfather had been when they were younger, and she vehemently denied any description. Her mother had been rather entranced about the tattoos they had on their backs. Olivia didn't go into any detail about what actually having them meant, but she promised that she would show the pictures she took when she returned to America. Her grandfather—even if he tried to hide it—had been curious about why Majima wore an eyepatch. Settling simply with 'he got into an accident when he was younger' was enough to sate him. All her family had been rather impressed with Kazuma's choice in fashion and concerned about Majima's—save her grandfather who actually liked the idea of a snakeskin jacket. That was concerning.
Her mother had asked if they were going to come and visit America when she came back, and she smiled. Not one but two yakuza in her small town back home was attention that they didn't need. Not to mention, actually having them fly over to America was a slim chance. Kiryu had said that he wanted to visit Hawaii sometime, but it didn't mean that he would actually come to America if he had the chance. The statement could have very well been something just to sate her or to add to the conversation. She could ask them sometime, but it wasn't likely. There were also more pressing matters than if her friends were going to come visit America. Her family had also asked her if she was going to end up moving to Japan fully or if she was just going to come to visit every now and again. Olivia had been truthful; she hadn't decided yet. Her life right now was in Japan, but when she returned to America, her life would be there. Her family was also there which it didn't feel right to up and leave, moving on the opposite side of the world with her family staying behind in America.
Olivia tried to not think of that choice so much until she absolutely had to. Her friends were in Japan. The best friends she had ever made; the soulmates of friends. Her family though, was in America. There would be no way to get them both in the same place. Kiryu and Majima had their whole lives here. Their jobs. All of it. Even their families. Well… Kiryu's. She still didn't know too much about Majima's family. Her family's roots were in America. Their whole lives were planed in that country. All their friends. Coming over to Japan, they'd have to learn a whole other language and the different customs that were so different from America's. No. She knew that they wouldn't be able to be in the same place. There would be a choice that she would have to make later; America or Japan. No matter what, the choice would hurt. But it would be one that she would put off for as long as she could.
"It was so good to hear from you again, Olivia. Call again soon." Olivia's mother said.
"I will."
"It was nice to meet you, Kiryu and Majima." Her grandmother said.
"… Take care of my granddaughter." Her grandfather mumbled.
Olivia translated between the two and she eventually hung up the phone and exhaled. Talking to her family was always the best part of the day. It was a reminder that she was missed and loved. The lingering feeling of sadness did appear every time though. She wondered if her family felt the same when their call ended. Olivia turned and looked at Kiryu and Majima. Both men looked away awkwardly.
"Thank you." She said. "My family happy to know I have good friend in Japan."
"Aw, Kitten! That's so sweet of ya ta be thankin' us like that! Right Kiryu-chan?! Doesn't it just make ya tingly all over?"
"…You're welcome." Kiryu smiled at Olivia.
"… Ya just ignored me, didn't ya?"
"Majima-san and I got something for you." Kiryu said.
"Me? What?"
Olivia followed Kiryu to the kitchen, still walking somewhat awkwardly. She pretended not to notice the laughter coming from behind her. She wasn't going to let him get to her with his laughter. After all, she remembered what he said in the phone call with her family. He could pretend and deny it all he wanted in the future, but she heard it. Her family did and Kiryu did as well. He was screwed. There was no backing out of those words now. She dipped down when Kiryu opened the fridge and gasped clasping her hands together. He pulled a beautifully done Christmas Cake. The pretty pink frosting with strawberries on top made her eyes sparkle. It looked so good! She leaned down close to it and examined the decorations. They were simple and yet so pretty. They had gotten this for her? Really? Olivia fanned away the tears that were gathering. They had remembered how much she said that she wanted to try the Christmas Cake? She smiled brightly at them.
"Thank you very much!"
"Merry Christmas, Olivia." Kiryu said and sat the cake on the counter. Next to the cake was her takoyaki maker, set there just like it was meant to be there.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Kazuma." She said and turned to Majima who blinked and looked at her. "Merry Christmas, Goro…"
"…"
Olivia smiled and turned back to the cake and pointed at one of the strawberries.
"I want that."
Kiryu cut the cake and handed her a large piece and a fork. She didn't wait for anyone else and went and plopped down on the floor sticking her feet under the kotatsu, slightly wincing when her thighs touched the kotatsu's legs when she wiggled beneath it to get comfortable. Olivia examined the cake for a moment before getting up and limping to go and get her camera. When she brought it back, she noticed that Majima and Kiryu were sitting at the kotatsu too. She got back into her spot and leaned back; getting all the cake pieces and her two friends into the picture as well. The shutter had taken them both by surprise, so the picture had Majima looking up at her with a fork in his mouth and Kiryu's jaw set as he was chewing, his elbow rested on the kotatsu. It would be another one that she would keep close to her heart. Olivia lined up a photo of her untouched cake slice and snapped it, smiling when it came out perfect. Setting her camera to the side, she stabbed the cake with her fork and popped the bite in her mouth; her face relaxing and she moaned slightly.
"So good…" Olivia muttered.
Her attention turned towards the TV where another Christmas movie was playing. It was something that just interested her. The other two purely used it as background noise. Even though she was having some issues understanding this one too—as it was in Japanese—she was still getting the majority of it. Just as the couple was about to kiss. Olivia was leaning forward, oblivious to any external forces. The picture cut out and a woman sitting behind a counter with some papers in her hand appeared. A look of confusion covered her face before the woman began speaking. She was talking extremely fast and Olivia narrowed her eyes as if it would make her understand better.
The woman stopped talking and two pictures popped up on the screen; one of a Japanese man that she didn't recognize and another of Keahi.
"…While the American man is alive, he is in critical condition. Yamamato Touma—age 35—director of the second division of Foreign Affairs was killed by the explosion. Police suspect that this may be the work of the same group responsible for the bomb in Kamurocho Empty Lot and the murder of Itachi Matsuo and are calling it a 'possible terrorist attack'. The police urge anyone with information regarding these incidents to contact your local police department immediately. This is Tanaka Himari; signing off."
Olivia's fork fell from her hand and crashed onto the plate below.
