Chapter 45
Hidden Secret
Kamui Household
Gakupo left Akaito's house and headed back to their house, running right into Dell and Nero at the front door. He looked tired and worn out from dealing with Akaito. He had Neru in his arms bridal style. "Neru, are you alright?" Dell asked not really paying much attention to the samurai. Ranee had been put to bed in her room some time while Gakupo had been gone searching for his wife.
"Yes… I want to go to sleep though…" she answered wearily. The samurai went into the house and then headed to their bedroom. He opened the door with a tap of his left foot and went inside. He laid her on the bed gently and then closed their door. Neru closed her eyes. "Gakupo…"
"Yes?" he asked as he sat next to her on the bed. He was still bleeding heavily, but he was ignoring it as his wounds slowly started healing.
"Will you stay with me while I sleep?"
"Sure thing," he answered. His wounds finished healing right in front of his wife's eyes. Gakupo looked at her again and smiled. She smiled also and noticed that his wounds had healed already.
"Your wounds…" she said slowly.
"What about them?" he asked his smile disappearing.
"They have healed…"
"I know that they have healed… You never noticed that I healed fast?" she shook her head slightly. He smiled brightly briefly before letting the smile vanish. "And if I told you why I heal that fast you might not like me anymore…"
"We're married… of course I won't like you; I love you," she countered.
"I know that you love me…" he said somewhat uneasily. He ran his hand through his long hair.
"So… tell me." Gakupo sighed heavily and he stayed silent for a moment longer.
"I'm not entirely human…"
"I knew that. Humans can't heal themselves." Gakupo sighed heavily again.
"I know that you won't like it if I told you, because I kept it secret from you…"
"Well, its better now than never," she said.
"I guess so. The reason why I was able to find you so easily is that I know what your scent is…"
"Well, Obsidian said that I smell like you."
"He has in a way given you a hint," Gakupo said with a smile. "Humans can't sense another human's scent."
"I know that." Gakupo dropped the spell that hid his ears and tail.
"I'm a –" Gakupo started.
"A Neko!" Neru finished for her husband. He fell off the bed in alarm. She leaned over the edge of the bed and played with his ears. He looked up at her.
"You're not angry that I hid this from you?"
"No…" she answered still playing with his ears which perk up.
"Hey, look at it this way; I will always be able to find you."
"Yeah," she said with a smile. He hugged her close to him as Nero knocked on the closed door. Gakupo immediately went to hide his ears and tail, but his wife stopped him. "There's no point in hiding it from him either…" she said soothingly. "Come in, Nero!" Gakupo looked at his wife. Nero opened the door and walked into the room. The samurai turned and looked at Nero as his ears flattened to his head.
"What the…?" Nero asked confused. Gakupo continued to look at Nero unsure of what to say. "Damn it…"
"What is it?" Gakupo asked lost.
"Nero loves cats and you're a Neko so –" Neru stated while giggling.
"I want to pet your ears… does that seem gay?" Nero asked. Gakupo again flattened his ears.
"No, it doesn't…"
"Okay then." The younger boy walked over to Gakupo and petted his ears. Gakupo let him as Dell walked into the room followed by Haku who was again drunk.
"So much for my sleep…" Neru sighed.
"Hehe kitty…" Haku said drunkenly.
"She needs sleep," Gakupo said before he disappeared from sight.
"I wanted you here…" Neru muttered under her breath. Nero took the others out of the room and closed the door behind them. Gakupo waited for the others to leave before he reappeared in the bedroom.
"Neru, I am here." He was sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Thank you."
"I didn't mean to leave. I wanted them to leave our room. Plus, I was almost mugged by a drunk Haku had I stayed in here."
"Oh okay." Gakupo placed his right hand on her stomach.
"Do you remember when I told you that my father didn't want me… but would have kept my sister?"
"Yeah," Neru answered.
"I think I finally can tell you the reason why he didn't want me…"
"Well, what is it?"
"Both of my parents were human. Gakuko was born human. I, however, was not."
"Oh…" Neru said slowly.
"Ever since the day I was born, my father hated me. He wanted me dead. To keep me safe, my mother gave me to Kazuki-sensei."
"Oh, I see."
"Gakuko came to live with us a few years later," Gakupo continued. "I was a year old when Kazuki-sensei took me in. Gakuko was five or six years of age."
"I thought that you were the older one."
"I am older by several years. What I meant is that she was five or six when Kazuki-sensei took her in. I was only a year old."
"Oh, I understand now." Gakupo's ears flatten back again.
"I never knew why I was born a Neko, but my mother use to tell me that is was part of what made me special." Neru shrugged and lay down.
"Your mother was right." Gakupo smiled down at her and then lay down next to her.
"Thanks love."
"Anytime babe," Neru said. She closed her eyes and cuddled closer to him. He cuddled next to her, his tail looping over her legs.
