"Good work! Roll with it, and…" Mika directed. She left the next step hanging in the air. Lise knew what to do from here. It was just putting it into practice.
Lise at Mika's direction, sprang upwards into a barrel roll.
Roundhouse kick brings me back around… Lise was going over the steps as she did them too. And…!
Lise's feet touched down. She let her weight come in next, pulling her into a crouch, that propelled her fist into the punching mat waiting on the ground. She grinned, chest heaving. Finally.
"That was awesome!" Mika smiled, jumping up and down. "You finally fixed the roundhouse!"
"Thanks to your help," Lise got up, stretching and cracking her back. She flicked the punching mat into her hands with her foot, and grabbed her water bottle. The cold water felt incredible on her dry throat.
Mika joined her with her own water bottle. She sipped at it and helped pick up their other training gear. "Has anyone ever told you you're terrifying? I mean," Lise was giving her a funny look. "After that huge incident at the WRGP, I'd think you'd want to be relaxing."
"I did sleep a lot afterwards. Mostly because I stayed up super late overthinking," Lise said after a minute. "But the best way for me to release stress is punching something. I never feel like I've worked out right unless I've punched something.
"But a vacation would be nice. We do have the time since the WRGP has been suspended for now."
Mika smiled conspiratorially to herself. She checked her phone. "Aw crap, I forgot," she frowned.
"What's up?"
"Band practice," Mika explained. She typed furiously at her phone, and lead the way back inside her apartment. "I forgot we were meeting today."
"Coolio!" Lise's eyes lit up. "What kind of band?"
"Just a cover band for now," Mika said. She unlocked her front door, letting the two girls inside. "The WRGP is hoping to lighten the mood with a few performances after they get the next couple of matches up and running."
"Like a concert! That's so cool! Is your band playing?"
Mika winced. "We somehow managed to squeeze in as an opener for LiSA and Masaaki Endoh. The producers wanted a local band for some hometown turf representation. The performance is coming up faster than my band members think, and we really need to practice! And come up with a set list!"
"Mind if I stick around?" Lise asked. She and Mika dropped her stuff in the latter's closet. "If you don't mind me being sweaty." It'd been forever since Lise heard some new music. She couldn't remember ever seeing a band play live either.
"Not at all. We could use an outside opinion. Feel free to use my shower if you'd like," Mika gestured to the bathroom as the girls walked by.
"Thanks, but I'll pass," Lise's elbow cocked backwards, straight into Mako's nose! "I don't trust this shitbag not to pick the lock."
Mako had gone sprawling. Blood immediately spurting from his nose.
"Good point," Mika conceded with a sigh. "Well, if you want a snack, you're welcome to anything in my kitchen."
"Doesn't anyone, I dunno, care that I'm lying here bleeding?!" Mako yelled, trying to save his entire shirt from turning red.
"No," came both Mika's and Lise's responses.
"Screw you," Mako snarled. He snatched a box of tissues off the kitchen counter and slammed Mika's bedroom door behind him.
"That takes care of him," Mika chuckled. Her phone dinged. "Looks like the guys are on their way up."
Lise nodded and opened the kitchen pantry. She thumbed through the snacks, finally pulling out pretzels.
She had two in her mouth when she walked out to meet the band members.
"Guys, this is my new sparring partner, Lise," Mika gestured politely to her, who quickly swallowed her pretzels.
"Hi," Lise waved, a tad self-conscious.
"Lise, this is Ritsu."
Ritsu's dark skin shone beautifully in kitchen light. Her red, curly hair was tied back with a rainbow bandana. She had freckles dotting her cheeks the color of gold. Her eyes were like smoky quartz gemstones, and caught the light beautifully. "Nice to meet you," Ritsu smiled widely, shaking Lise's hand.
"Y-You too," Lise's cheeks felt warm. Ritsu was gorgeous, and here Lise was in her sweaty combat gear.
"A martial artist?" Ritsu pointed at Lise's arm wrappings.
"Yeah."
"Me too!" Ritsu gushed. "I do Capoeira!"
"Dance fighting?!" Lise's self-consciousness faded. "I've always wanted to learn that!"
"I'll teach you some time."
"Later, I hope?" One of the two boys piped up. Rich, healthy, and dark dreadlocks artfully framed his angular face. The tips of which were dyed peacock blue. His eyes glinted the gold of tiger's eye gems. "Raymundo," he wiggled his eyebrows. "But you can call me Ray."
"I love your hair," Lise blurted out.
Ray split into a grin. "My mom did it!"
"She did mine too." The last boy offered his hand to shake. He too had artful dreadlocks, and a blockier face, but his dreadlock tips were dyed neon green. His eyes were darker than Ray's, a reddish-brown reminiscent of Hessonite Garnets. If Ray's eyes had a bright mischievous light to them, his were dark and serious. "Diego. Ray's my little brother."
"And that's the band."
"Nice to meet you all."
"You too," Ritsu said politely.
"Yeah!" Ray cheered. "Ready to rock!" He lead the way back up to the roof, playing an air guitar.
The four of them got to practicing. The rooftop was a bit chilly, but they played up there to avoid being too noisy. Mika explained to Lise that she played the bass, Diego played drums, Ray rocked the electric guitar, and Ritsu was a wizard on the keyboard. Lise nodded along politely, but she didn't completely understand. Hell, she couldn't even read music notes. She couldn't judge much, but most of the practice just sounded like noise…
It took her a while, but she finally picked up on what they were trying to play. Diego insisted on starting over every time anyone made a mistake. And they made a lot of mistakes. Diego was more by the book, and Ray was the wild card who frequently threw the book away… Ritsu was a good medium. Mika was just along for the ride.
"Diego! You're throwing off our groove!" Ray dropped his arms dramatically. The strap saved his electric guitar.
"We should just get through one song at this point," Ritsu picked at her nails.
Diego shook his head, his dreads swaying. "We'll never play the song right if we can't nail the beginning!"
"We can't play a song right if we never actually play it!" Ray cried, throwing his arms up.
"Let's not fight while Lise is here," Ritsu jabbed her thumb at their new friend.
Lise swallowed another pretzel and drank a glass of water innocently.
Mika finally spoke up. "Why don't we just play through the whole song, and call it good for the day?" She checked her phone for the time. "Lise and I have to go soon anyway."
"Fine," Diego stuck out his lower lip.
Everyone took their places. Lise sat up, ready for an actual song.
The electric-pop beat came in first. Then the unique drum rattling and guitars…and then… vocals!
Ritsu started singing. "You know who it is, coming round again. You want a dose of this right now, it's K/DA, uh!"
"AAAAHHH!" Lise's excitement propelled her to her feet. She didn't think, and started singing.
Ritsu stopped for a second, blinking up at Lise. She had enough brain power left to continue playing at least. Then she broke into a grin, gesturing for Lise to keep going.
Both girls kept singing, everyone kept playing. Lise was so excited she couldn't stand still. Her favorite part was coming up.
"You ready for this? Let's go!"
Lise loved this song. She'd listened to it nonstop to get the lyrics right. It had driven Yusei nuts.
"See uhn jae deun ji nae mo se up magic
Dan han bun eh naega jabuh
Juhl daegi jook ji ahn chi uh!
Pow pow ni ga mouol ah ruh!
Gyun dil soo up ssuh won hae do
Won ha neun gae uhl gool ae boo-yah
I'm trouble and you're wanting it
I'm so cold!
When I move that way you gon' be so blown!
I'm the realest in the game, uh!
Said I'm on fire with a blade
You're about to hear my name
Ringing in your head like, whoa!"
"Yes!" Ray shouted.
And then it was already almost over. The last chorus.
"Don't lose the energy!" Mika yelled over the music.
"Ain't nobody bringing us
Down, down, down, down, down, down
They could try but we're gonna wear the crown
You could go another round
Round, round, round, round, round, round
Wish you luck, but you're not bringing us down
We go hard, til we get it, get it
We go hard, we so in it, in it
We pop stars
Only winning, winning now
Ain't nobody bringing us
Down, down, down, down!"
The rooftop was quiet for a few seconds. The band members and Lise staring at each other, catching their breath.
"That was so AWESOME!" Ray was so excited he danced around with his guitar.
"Girl, you speak Korean? That was tight as hell," Ritsu smacked Lise's arm teasingly.
"No, not at all," Lise waved her hands. "I can't. I learned how to sing those parts phonetically. I have no clue what I'm saying. It took hours!"
"Well, thanks for spicing up our practice. Hopefully we'll see you again? Next practice?" Diego raised an eyebrow over his drum set. He spun one of the drumsticks in his hand.
Lise shrugged. "If I'm not busy with the WRGP."
"Okay, we've gotta clean up our gear. It's time for me to give Lise her gift!" Mika snapped her guitar case shut.
"Gift?"
"Yeah, but I'm going home with you for dinner tonight to give it to you then!"
"Right," Ray hefted his guitar case onto his back. He passed his guitar pick between his fingers like it was a card.
Everyone had to help Diego pack up the drum set. They couldn't leave it on the roof to get rained on.
"So, we'll see you around, Lise! Bye Mika!" Ray waved on his way back downstairs.
"Get home safe," Ritsu crushed Lise and Mika into hugs. "Nice meeting you!"
"You too!" Lise croaked.
"Let's jam again soon," Diego winked, and followed Ray and Ritsu out.
Lise rounded on Mika. "Please tell me you didn't buy something ridiculous."
"Okay," Mika smirked. "I won't tell you that."
Lise followed her back into her apartment. Mika came out of her bedroom with an already packed bag. "Don't destroy my apartment, Mako!"
"Whatever!" Mako responded petulantly.
"You can't just give it to me here?" Lise asked, still a little shell shocked.
"Nope, it's kinda big, and not just for you."
/
"Welcome home, Lise," Yusei said. He looked up from his work on his own duel runner. He wanted to make sure it was doing all right after his duel with Placido. "Oh, Mika, good to see you again." He got up, wiping his greasy hands on a rag. Lise pulled off her helmet, and shook her hair out, which Yusei paused to watch unbeknownst to himself.
Mika dismounted Lise's bike. She threw her bag down and fist-bumped Yusei. "Working hard, as usual, I see."
"Yeah, I guess," Yusei scratched at his cheek a little, smearing grease. Lise's cheeks turned pink, watching him.
"You and Lise are two peas in a pod."
"Well, we're not very good at relaxing," Lise admitted quickly. She picked up Mika's small overnight bag to take upstairs.
Mika might have imagined it, but Yusei's small smile seemed to be strained. A muscle tightening in his jaw maybe. Especially when she'd mentioned his and Lise's relationship. She remembered their previous troubles, but this one seemed different. Hopefully, what Mika had planned would help.
"So, what's for dinner?"
"Crow and Bruno have dinner duty," Yusei said. "Are you spending the night, Mika?"
"Yeah, just for tonight." She lead the way up into the kitchen. "Because I've got something special for everybody."
Yusei's eyes slid over to Lise. She shrugged, spreading her hands. He understood. Mika hadn't shared any details.
"Is that Mika I hear?" Crow looked up from his work. He'd just finished pouring the broth for homemade ramen.
Bruno plopped in the little Naruto, fish cakes, into each bowl. "Oh, hi Mika! We've got enough for you to have a bowl too!"
"Good, that smells amazing!" Mika sat down, ready to eat.
"It's good to see you without your brother, for once," Yusei added.
Mika winced. "He's my brother, and I love him and all, but…yeah… it'll be nice to get away from him for a little while."
Lise rolled her eyes. "Dude can't take a hint," she muttered.
"Jack! Dinner!" Bruno called up the ladder.
Jack joined them, taking his preferred seat at the head of the table. Bruno, Crow, Yusei, and Lise were already fully engaged in conversation and eating with Mika.
"Not to be rude, but why did you decide top join us tonight, Mika?" Jack said in between slurps of ramen.
"Not that you aren't welcome any time," Crow added quickly.
"Oh right!" Mika clapped her hands together. "I almost forgot!" She polished off her last gulp of ramen before continuing. "Tomorrow I'm taking all of Team 5Ds to a hot spring!"
"Really?" Jack brightened. "How fabulous!"
"Are you sure? Hot springs can be pretty expensive," Crow frowned.
Yusei sipped at his milk. "Could be nice, but we don't want to put you out of your way like that."
"No, no, it's no trouble! Mako and I just got our uh…" Mika paused. She drew circles on the table with her fingertips. "Our inheritance from my mom's will."
"Oh wow."
"Yeah, I'm surprised she remembered me, but apparently being the leader of a cult means there are multiple benefits…" she kept drawing circles on the table.
Mika had mixed feelings about her mother. About her mother's death too. But she was doing the best she could. For herself and her brother.
"Mika?" Lise reached for her friend.
"Thanks, but it's okay." Mika wasn't putting on a brave face when she smiled. She'd always wanted to do something like this for friends. Now she had friends, and the chance. "So whattaya say? The bus comes tomorrow morning to drive us there!"
"Of course, I'll be going," Jack gestured grandly to himself. "May I invite Carly? She's my girlfriend."
"Oh definitely."
"Akiza and the twins too?"
"They're part of the team! That's why I hired a bus."
"Awesome, I can't wait to relax," Lise spread her arms. Finished with her ramen, she collected her bowl, and Yusei's. She had to do dishes, like usual, before relaxing at a hot spring. But dishes were better than cooking, at least in Lise's opinion.
"Oh…thanks…" Yusei hadn't expected her to take his bowl too. "Did you want some help with the dishes?"
"Nope. Bowls are pretty easy. You should call Akiza and the twins though, see if they want to stay here tonight."
"Good idea," Mika agreed.
Yusei pulled out his phone. "All right then."
/
The bus came, on the dot, at five in the morning. Luckily, Akiza and the twins had opted to stay the night, instead of making the journey over that morning. Getting up even earlier to be on time would be a nightmare.
"Damn this is early," Crow yawned.
"Sorry," Mika scratched at the back of her head. "But the springs are quite the drive away, and I wanted to get started early."
"Just sleep on the bus," Lise grumbled. She hopped onboard, picked a seat, and promptly passed out in it.
"Hot spring adventure…!" Leo raised his arm sluggishly. He was excited, but tired. SO tired.
The drive was just over six hours, nearly seven. Stops were interspersed for bathroom and stretch breaks though. Everyone napped for at least a few hours, except for Mika. She was the only one whose excitement made it impossible to fall asleep.
/
"Welcome to the hot springs!" Mika declared, spreading her arms dramatically.
The hot spring inn was large, wrapped smartly around the climbing hillside. Steam rose in the back, the hot springs. Nestled against the back of the inn, the hot springs themselves were protected by the natural rock formations. The surrounding trees and foliage were carefully selected and placed amongst the hand-crafted stonework.
"So nice!" Leo's eyes shone with his excitement.
"Yeah," Luna agreed, her eyes as big and wide as her brother's.
"It's prettier during the cherry blossom season, but also busier," Mika said. "It's the off season, so we pretty much have the place to ourselves."
"Don't forget me!" Mako came, practically skipping, out of the inn. He waved jubilantly at the dumbstruck 5Ds party. His acid green eyes fell hungrily on Lise.
"The hell are you doing here?!" Mika blocked her brother's line of sight with a brandished finger.
"I knew you were planning on coming here this weekend," Mako's cheerful mask never slipped. "I decided I'd go the night before and meet you here!"
"Has the bus already left?" Akiza asked.
"Yep," Crow groaned.
Mika sighed heavily. "And it won't be back until Sunday night."
Lise's eye twitched. "Yay." She sounded less than enthusiastic. Just once, I wanted to fucking relax!
"Oh Mika," An older woman, dressed in a maple-leaf patterned kimono, came out of the inn. "This must be your party! Welcome to the Sakura Hot Springs! All your rooms are ready, so if you'd please follow me."
Akiza took a deep breath, and grabbed her bags. "We're already here, andI dunno about you guys, but I deserve some rest and relaxation!"
Most of the others followed her inside. She had a point. The team had been through quite a lot lately. Mako was more than happy to step aside to allow the others through.
Lise stayed outside, biting her lip as she thought. Was it worth trying to relax with this freakshow breathing down her neck?
Yusei's dark blue eyes were cold. He wasn't going in until Lise was. "You sure you don't wanna leave?" he whispered into Lise's ear, glaring at Mako.
She gave it another minute. The place was nice. Mako was the unfortunate part of the surprise. But luckily, he was outnumbered. Even the staff wouldn't tolerate his bullshit. If they happened to catch him in the act that is.
"Let's give it a try," Lise decided. "I've never been to a hot spring. Could be nice."
"Okay, but I don't trust him."
Lise smiled at Yusei. He wasn't touching her, but she could feel his warmth. His breath ghosting past her shoulder. They were getting better. Slowly but surely. This could be good. She'd probably have to smash Mako's head into the dirt at some point, but it'd be a good experience.
Yusei noticed her staring. "Uh…" His cheeks felt warm. "…Did I say something weird?"
"Nope, come on." She lugged her things inside.
Mako waved cheerfully as Yusei passed. To which, Yusei used his index and pinky finger to point at his eyes, then Mako. Behind Yusei's back, Mako stuck his tongue out.
He crossed his arms, glaring as the door closed behind Yusei. What does she even see in HIM?
The concierge was just directing everyone to their rooms. "This red room is for misses Luna, Akiza, and Mika. The green room across from them is for misters Leo, Bruno, and Crow." She hummed to herself, walking further down the hall. "This yellow room is for miss Carly and mister Jack!"
"Couples room," Carly muttered, turning beat red. She had to hide her face she felt so warm.
Jack beamed at her. So cute.
"And then the purple room here is miss Lise's and mister Yusei's." The concierge finished brightly. "The hot springs are down this hall. Men on the left, and women on the right. Everything you need is provided, but let me know if you need anything extra. Just ask for Miss Okami. Dinner is at 6:30, and feel free to check out our game room. Enjoy your stay!"
Lise's brain was fizzling. Sure, she and Yusei had been sleeping together for a while now. It was normal. But to have someone acknowledge it? Especially a stranger?
She almost jumped out of her skin when Akiza's hand fell on her shoulder. "See you in the bath in a half hour?"
"Yeah, sounds good!"
Yusei let them into the room. Miss Okami had handed him the key while Lise was spacing. They'd taken off their shoes at the main entrance, for indoor shoes. But the room's tatami mats were made for bare or sock feet. Which was nice because no one wanted to walk on futons, or any bed for that matter, in shoes. The covers for said futons were purple, so were the wallpaper designs, and the small, simple tea set on the little table.
"Oh, so when she said purple room, she meant it literally," Lise said.
Yusei plugged his phone into one of the outlets. Place was retrofitted too. "Even the outlet covers are purple."
"Hmmm," Lise put her bag down and crawled into one of the futons. For a bed on the floor, it felt pretty comfortable.
"Lise?" He looked up and she wasn't there. Did Mako try something already or…? Nope. There she was in the futon. "What're you doing?" Yusei chuckled a little, pulling the futon's covers back.
"I'm a futon burrito!" Lise giggled. "I haven't slept in one since I was a kid."
"Oh, so you're testing them out?" Yusei raised an eyebrow. They were finally alone after hours, and Lise looked so cute in the futon. He wanted to…to at least hold her hand… But he was scared to even brush her fingers with his own. He couldn't keep pretending everything was okay though. It wasn't.
"Just for a little bit," Lise crawled out to grab what she'd need for after the bath. "If I stay in there, I'll fall asleep, and I wanna try out the water. Are you guys going in too?"
"Uh huh. Jack's itching for the 'kingly' treatment," Yusei used his fingers for air quotes.
Lise rolled her eyes. "Can't keep the 'king' waiting." She did the same, and slipped back into her pair of indoor shoes.
"See you at dinner?"
"Yeah, see you at dinner."
/
Luna, Akiza, and Carly were already washing themselves up when Lise and Mika arrived. There were enough stations that all five girls could wash up at the same time.
"Took you long enough," Akiza teased. Her red hair was awash with soap. She looked like the queen of bubbles.
Luna dumped her little bucket of water over her head. "All clean!"
Lise sat down next to Akiza. "I was just looking around. I've never been to a hot spring before."
"Me either," Mika said. She sat down too. Everyone had to be clean before going in the spring water.
"We have," Akiza and Luna said.
Carly gave them both a look. Even naked, long hair dripping, and her arms crossed Carly could be intimidating. "That's because you're rich." She placed the retractable shower head of her station back in its place.
Akiza opened her mouth to respond, then thought better of it. Carly was right. Considering the girls here, and who had been to a spring before and hadn't, it was obvious.
"But it's nice to finally be here," Carly's expression softened. "I never dreamed I'd get to come to a place like this, especially when I was living out of my car."
"Or a subway tunnel!" Lise added, scrubbing the shampoo out of her hair.
Finished washing, Carly, Akiza, and Luna went to the hairdryers. The locker room right by the springs had a whole wall full of them. The girls helped each other, especially with Carly's long hair. They climbed into the spring water just as Lise and Mika finished up.
"Mind helping me dry my hair?" Mika asked. "I just don't like the cold water dripping on my back."
"Oh, sure."
The whirring dryers made it hard to talk. Lise didn't mind. Mika's short, dark hair dried quickly.
"Perfect," Mika took the hairdryer. "You're turn."
"That's not- okay…" Lise gave up. It was nice to have people play with her hair.
"Your hair is really pretty," Mika said once she'd turned the dryer off. She started braiding Lise's hair, putting it up in the back so it wouldn't get wet again. "Mine isn't long enough yet to braid."
"Your hair is pretty too. Sometimes I wish mine was darker."
"Eh," Mika shrugged. "It's nice and manageable when it's short, but I do prefer the brown over the white hair my mom had."
"I'm…" An apology felt so hollow. Both girls had barely known Mitka. But Lise had been the one to see her die. "Sorry…"
Mika sighed. "My mom made some…inadvisable choices. It's not your fault, or mine, or even Mako's. Their choices don't make us like them. We make our own choices too."
"You seem so wise sometimes, Mika."
"It's the trauma, but you're done! All ready for the hot springs!"
"Come on in already!" Carly waved. "Water's great!"
Lise sank in to the heated water slowly, practically melting the rest of the way. "This is soooooo good…"
"I wanna live in here!" Luna splashed a little in her excitement.
Akiza giggled. She'd curled her long bangs up into buns. Princess Leia style. "And turn into a raisin?"
"I'm with Luna. All my troubles are flowing away…"
"It's a nice, natural place too. Big enough to swim in for little kids."
Luna nodded knowingly. "Leo is definitely using the boy's side as a swimming pool."
The girls sat in silence for a few minutes. They didn't need to talk. Relaxing together was enough.
Luna broke the silence. "This might seem out of the blue, but I just want to say I'm sorry. About everything that's happened… The Spirit World…it was such a disaster. You all got hurt, and I didn't…so I'm sorry…"
The smaller girl's gaze was on her curled fists in the water. She didn't notice the older girls moving closer.
"Luna?" Lise's voice was soft. "Have you been feeling this guilty the whole time?"
Akiza settled her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault."
"It wasn't anyone's fault. We all did the best we could, and you were so strong."
"We've all been hurt, and had to move forward from the Spirit World in our own way. You're not alone."
"Besides, this trip is supposed to be the chance to forget all about the Spirit World, Team Catastrophe, and the Emperors! At least for a little while."
"What matters is we're all still here."
"Also, that I'm going to win our water fight!" Carly squealed, splashing her friends.
"Hey!"
"Oh, it's on!"
The girls' side was filled with shrieks, laughing, and erratic splashes. Finally, finally, they were having fun like the kids they were.
/
"Sounds like they're having fun," Crow jerked his thumb at the wooden wall dividing the men from the women.
"Yeah! This place is awesome!" Leo cried. He'd been swimming gleefully from one end of the spring to the next.
Bruno laughed, watching Leo do laps. "This is nice."
"I could get used to this," Jack sighed deeply. He spread his arms, resting them on the smooth rock behind him. "This is treatment fit for a king."
"I know. I had no idea I was so stiff," Yusei said. The warm waters were unraveling all the cold in his bones, the tightness in his muscles. It even felt good on the new scar decorating his left arm.
"We've gotta thank Mika somehow," Crow suggested. "After everything that's happened, this all feels like a dream."
"If it is a dream, don't wake me up!" Leo stopped swimming for a moment in case he needed to ward people off.
"Now that I'm here, it's even better than a dream!" Mako announced, stepping into the waters and posing like he thought he was Superman.
"Welp, dream's dead," Crow said, voice deadpan.
"More like a nightmare," Yusei muttered. He rested his head on his hand. He could practically feel the tension seeping back into his shoulders.
"Remind us," Jack broke into a fake grin, clasping his hands. "Why are you here?"
Mako crossed his arms. "I deserve to relax too! I have a lot of stress built up!"
"Gods, I can't imagine what that's like," Bruno rolled his eyes.
"But enough about stress," Mako rubbed his hands together. His eyebrows wiggled. "Who wants to peek in on the women's bath with me?"
"NO."
"Aw, come on! You know you want to!"
"No, I really don't, man," Crow scooted as far away as possible.
"My sister's over there," Leo said quietly. "I…I don't wanna look over there like that…"
"Well said, Leo," Jack said.
"Come on," Mako looked at each of them like the choice was clear. "Guys, naked women!"
"And we're naked men."
"But don't you wanna see your girlfriends naked?"
"Course I would," Jack admitted. "But not like this. I've gotta at least ask her first."
"Plus," Yusei got up. It was time to get out. "Especially since we're dating, even if I had seen her naked, that's nobody else's business."
"Wait," Mako was getting desperate. The others were following Yusei out. "Wait! Are you saying you've seen my future wife naked?! I need details! Details!"
"NO!"
/
"No, no, no! Don't go out! Please don't!" Akiza pleaded. She had quite a few cards in her hand.
"Sorry ladies," Carly clicked her tongue, drawing a card, placing her seven, and discarding a two.
"You shitty motherfucker," Lise swore, throwing what was left of her hand on the table. "Eighteen."
The girls were playing cards in the game room. Clearly, they'd finished their dinners early. They were all dressed in the light purple robes provided by the inn. Luna's was a little big on her, but the other girls had clearly helped her tie the sleeves back.
"I take it you're not playing Golf?" Yusei sat down on the arm of the couch. Close to Lise.
"Nope, Shanghai."
"Yeah! They're teaching me how to play!" Luna waved her new hand for Yusei to see.
Akiza stuck her lower lip out in a pout. "And Carly's kicking our asses!"
"There's still the last hand, don't forget," Lise said, passing cards to Carly for shuffling.
"And of course, I will take yours," Mako burst in out of nowhere, grabbing Lise's hand. Her cards spilled across the floor and table. Everyone stopped their games. Did they need to intervene or was it handled? "I see you're stunned with happiness!" Mako's smug smirk grew.
Lise stood up. Her breath rattled in her chest like a low roar. She flipped Mako's hand around, using her own to press into Mako's. A hand lock.
"Okay," Mako went down at an awkward angle like a sack of rice. "Ow…you're…you're hurting me." Lise still had Mako's hand.
"Good," Lise smiled sweetly. "You'll pay attention." She pushed harder. "I don't want you here. My friends don't want you here. I don't like you, and I don't want anything to do with you. Take some time for yourself, and figure out why. I want you to leave me alone. If you don't, I will smash your head into the dirt with my foot. Understand?"
"Yes!" Mako squeaked.
"Good," Lise's sweet smile dropped off her face. She tossed Mako's hand back to him. "Get out already."
Tail between his legs, Mako got up off the floor. He sniffled, holding his arm like Lise had broken it. He slammed the door to the game room behind him.
"Shall we continue?" Lise collected her fallen cards.
"I'm gonna step out for a moment," Yusei let himself outside into the garden.
"Start without me," Lise slapped the cards she'd got on the table.
Bruno whistled after the outside door closed behind her. "Dude's a real piece of work."
The gardens were beautiful. Trees lined the perimeter, losing leaves for winter. The water, clearly in a man-made design, flowed decadently in a loop that started and ended at pools. Red bridges arced over the waterways, allowing visitors to see the entire garden. There was even a sand and rock garden in the very back.
Yusei had his head in his hands, standing atop the nearest bridge.
"Hey, are you-"
"That was so funny!"
Lise blinked in surprise. He was laughing? She wasn't sure why he'd needed to step out, but laughing was not something she had considered.
"You had him in a hand lock, and he…" Yusei had to stop talking he was laughing so hard. "He looked like he was gonna pee!"
Lise felt her face heating up. Threatening Mako had felt really good in the moment. Had she gone too far? She played with the hem of her robe's sleeve. What should I do?
"Sorry," Yusei composed himself, clearing his throat. "He just puts me on edge, and seeing him on the ground like that? Damn, that was funny." He saw Lise's expression. "Hey…" He pulled Lise's sleeve, careful not to touch her. "That was awesome. I thought he was gonna ruin this trip, but if you keep threatening him like that, it'll be fun."
Lise laughed a little too. "God, maybe? It's just too much to deal with after the Spirit World, the WRGP, and the Emperors."
Yusei's expression hardened, ever so slightly. She could see it in the way his jaw clenched. "It's one thing after another it seems." He sighed heavily, the weight of which made him sit down. And that thing Luciano said about my father. Roman too…
Lise sank down on the bridge too. She clasped her hands, staring at the starry sky above them. "I know, it's like we can't catch a break! Just when we think we can put our dads behind us, the next bad guy is all like 'bitch, you thought, for five thousand.'"
Yusei's eyes widened. That was almost exactly the same thing as he'd been thinking. "Yeah," he nodded. "I still feel like I need to answer for Zero Reverse. Like it's my responsibility."
"Exactly!" Lise groaned, slapping her hands to her face, and tilting her head back. "Like, for fuck's sake, I'm not my dad! I'm not responsible for his choices. I'm responsible for me!"
If the hot springs took away half Yusei's stress, everything Lise was saying was taking care of the rest. Of course, it wasn't all gone. They still had to worry about the WRGP, and protecting the city. But at least neither of them would be alone to do it.
"One thing I do feel responsible for is the city," Yusei spoke carefully. "And not because my father's work nearly destroyed us, or your dad's actions. But because the city is my home, and it gives me hope for the future."
Lise's smile was warm, and she bobbed her head in agreement. "It's got my favorite people in it. What other reason do I need?" Her smile fell. She picked at the dead skin on her fingertips. "My father made some terrible choices. He chose to destroy the city, and I'm choosing to do my part to save the city."
"Me too," Yusei frowned. "But according to that Luciano guy we're going to destroy it somehow."
"We'll come to that when we get there. Not that we're ignoring it, but what else are we supposed to do? Not fight for what we believe in?"
"These things are all something an adult with much more experience should handle."
"Mika seems like a mature, experienced, adult, but she's only a couple years older than us. She reminded me trauma tends to mature us before we're ready."
"I'm glad you're friends with her. She seems to understand," Yusei smiled a little. "Speaking of trauma," he changed the subject with a cough into his fist. "I…after the…after what happened in the Spirit World, I'm afraid to touch you… It's…It brings me back to…before."
Lise's gaze fell. "I've been in the same boat. Just the memory… it scares me. It feels wrong to me because I know it's not who you are."
"But it was me. It was my body. I can't change the fact that he…he took control of me," Yusei had to clench his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "I'm scared. It feels like a part of me will always belong to him."
"That's not true," Lise planted her hands on the bridge. Her face was level with Yusei's when he looked up at her. "This life, this body, is yours. Your body belongs to you." She pointed at his chest. "No one can ever take this away from you. Not even me."
Yusei was quiet. It took him a moment to realize he was crying. Lise was right. That was the first step. "I hope you're telling yourself the same thing," he finally choked out.
Lise flushed pink and backed away. "Yeah, it's a start. The memory of…you on me…like that… The fear has faded, but it's still there."
There was a pause in the conversation. Both of them were thinking through the new information the other had given them.
"It'd be easier to stop being together," Yusei said softly. "But I don't want to stop."
"No?" Lise's eyes glittered in the light of the lanterns.
"No," Yusei repeated. "I could probably eventually find someone else. You could too. But we've been through a lot together. You've seen me crash horrifically. You've seen me with a roach's nest in my ear. I've seen you with blood on your knuckles. I've seen you in a hospital bed for three days."
Yusei pulled a lock of Lise's hair into his fingers. "So I could start over if I really wanted to, but I don't want to."
"I don't want to either," Lise whispered. Her cheeks glowed a soft pink.
"It'll be hard, but I think it's worth it," Yusei's dark blue eyes found the light blue of Lise's eyes. "I love you, and I don't want anyone else."
/
Yusei rolled over. The futon was comfortable, but he was having trouble falling asleep. Nightmares again. Nothing new.
There was a hand at his back. Yusei froze. If Lise was asleep, she would move right? He waited. Nothing. Okay, maybe her hand was too small of a trigger to give him flashbacks.
But then her hand slipped away. A finger came back, moving around like a pencil.
"Lise?"
"Hmm?"
"You're awake?"
"Yeah," she yawned. Her finger stopped. "Am I hurting you?"
"No… Are you drawing on my back?"
"Uh huh," Lise yawned again. She kept going.
"What're you drawing?"
"Guess."
"Uh…" Yusei relaxed back into her touch. It was almost hypnotic if he wasn't focusing. He had to focus to guess though. "A doughnut?"
"No!" Her laugh broke into a yawn. "The sun."
"Oh."
The warmth of her forehead and hand touched his back. Again, nothing. "I still love you though," Lise muttered sleepily.
Her breathing got heavier and heavier as she fell back into her deep sleep. Yusei rolled around to face her, taking her hand as gently as possible. She didn't pull back, and Lise's expression stayed the same. No flashbacks for him either. Talking had definitely done some good.
"I love you too," Yusei whispered.
(Longer chapter this time! It's been a little while since I wrote a purely original chapter. It was fun, but also challenging. I like introducing more characters because it deepens not only Lise's personal life, but Mika's too. Plus, music can be fun, and so can musicals! I like putting songs and lyrics into my writing because it reminds me of how I feel listening to different songs, and sometimes memories associated with them too!
But I'm super glad I decided to wedge this little filler episode in there. It's not a beach episode, but it is a band of characters come together to relax chapter! Relax and jump a few hurdles because as the people that were the most injured from their time in the Spirit World, Lise and Yusei really needed to talk it out. And I snuck a little closure for Luna in too because an eleven-year-old dealing with survivor's guilt? She needed some good old-fashioned older girls I look up to comforting her.
And next up? Bonds Beyond Time! Yeah! Season 2 is even LONGER due to a plethora of original chapters, and the inclusion of the movie! Yusei is SUPER sexy in it, so how could I not?! Anyway, the goal is for the next 2-3 chapters to cover the BBT movie!
Once again, and I can't say this enough, thanks SO MUCH to all you readers! We're all still here, and I'm so glad and thankful you decided to come on this two parter journey with me!)