Return to Macross
A sequel to Earth Wanderers
chapter 2
When she got back to her dorm room she was in a state of high alert.
It was still early and she might go to sleep but after a week spent in a medically induced coma her senses were as awake as they could be. She ran her fingertips over all the surfaces in the room noticing once again how clean they were, opened the empty fridge, closed it. Then she walked into the bedroom and pulled open the closet. Her spotless uniforms flashed by like empty, inanimate sacks.
Misa sighed dejectedly. The truth was that she didn't have that much clothing. Before the Macross maiden trip her stubborness had led her to board with the minimum required. A few clothes and two or three shoe changes. On the ship, she had never gone shopping. She thought she didn't need to, she thought she deserved nothing more than a life of hard work because he... because he was dead.
Suddenly a new thought ran through her. She squatted down in front of the nightstand and pulled open a drawer. She picked up a small blue velvet box, opened it, and for a short moment the glow of a precious stone flickered in the artificial light. Then she gathered a small digital frame that was facing the pillow. Misa took both items and stared at them for a long time. Then she rose to her feet in sheer determination. She found a shoebox at the foot of the closet. Inside were lying a pair of old black Converse All-stars: the fabric was a little faded and the strings looked like thin, tangled snakes.
She unboxed it, dropping the shoes on the floor, then placed the frame and the jewel box in there. She shut the lid instinctively, pressing her palms together. The cardboard crinkled under her fingers. Misa breathed deeply then pushed the box back into the darkest corner of the closet.
Farewell, Riber...
When Hikaru reached his quarters again the hallways were deserted. Only a few doorways ahead was his comrade Max's room. He considered making a quick stop but then remembered his current situation: he didn't know if he was still part of the army or not. But moments before, the same Captain Global had called him with his rank of 3rd Lieutenant...
Hikaru's hands were covered in a thin coat of sweat. He loosened the first button on his regulation shirt, just giving up to look for Max. He dialed the unlock code and vanished inside the room. The dorm looked the same as it had before. Cleaned up, curtains closed. Hikaru got rid of his boots by throwing them on the floor in separate directions. Then he took off his jacket and threw it on the chair.
For long minutes he stared at the life-sized poster on the wall, right in front of his bed.
She was simply gorgeous. As if from another planet. He couldn't believe that all that beauty no longer existed, gone, lost at the deepest end of space.
And it's all my fault
Hikaru suddenly remembered their foiled plan, how they had stolen the Super Ostrich Valkyrie from the the hangars... It had all been too easy, and Minmay was delighted with their devilish little plan. At that moment he had felt so cool, a badass.
And I was a moron instead
Hikaru brought his hands to his hair and tugged it hard.
-Stupid stupid stupid...
he murmured
Minmay please forgive me...
Misa wasn't simply disappointed, no, she was almost angry. The few civilian clothes she had brought with her from Earth were lying battered on the bed. None of them fit her anymore. She had lost weight and her muscles had lost tone. Her old body was gone, leaving a smaller, thiny one in its place. Her clothes hung loose and shapeless. Her denims fit loosely around her waist. She brought her hands to her face in dismay.
-I look so ugly!
She almost felt like crying.
But I can't go out to dinner in my uniform...what would Ichijo think? That I'm still the same boring obasan*? Oh, I can't do that
Tears filled Misa's eyes, leaving her vision blurred. It pained her that she didn't have any nice clothes, and also that the few she had, fit her poorly because of her sudden weight loss. Most of all, it pained her that this was causing her so much pain.
There was a time when these things wouldn't have mattered to me...
At such a crucial time for mankind. Where the population of the Earth had been exterminated, she was only able to despair over a dress.
What about Claudia? She had just lost her man, the love of her life...
Claudia, I need you so much right now...
- After all, Ichijo saw me wearing the material of a parachute. There shouldn't be any worse... I guess...
She finally made her choice for a short black dress. It was very plain, with a round neckline, small sleeves that lengthened over the shoulders, and a slightly flared mid-thigh skirt. It was the one she fit best out of all her dresses. She couldn't remember when she had last worn it. Surely it had been some time.
Misa was completely unaware of her beauty.
She carefully checked her teeth in the bathroom mirror. Then she applied a light coat of make-up to her slightly sunburnt face: put a little more lipstick on her lips and applied some mascara over her long eyelashes. Then she unlocked a jewelry box that once belonged to her mother: she wore a pair of tiny gold hoop earrings and a knitted bracelet, also gold, on her left wrist. They were her favorites. Then she opted for a rather ordinary black bag and put her papers and credit card in it. She no longer had a smartphone, but she figured the next day the administrative staff would hand her one.
So many thoughts...
The black ankle boots she wore scratched the back of her heel. Just moving around the room she felt a slight but constant throbbing pain under the soles of her feet.
After a month adrift on the desert wasteland she had completely forgotten the feeling of wearing high heels. The discomfort was unnerving her. She grabbed a small tan trench coat from the closet and tried to slip it on.
It was now only half an hour until 6pm.
Misa looked at herself in the large hallway mirror.
-Not too bad, but...
A wince of pain twisted her features.
Suddenly she took off both the boots, sending them flying to opposite sides of the room.
-Oh, damn!
She stood still, barefoot on the floor, fuming.
-God, why it must be so hard?
Then her eyes landed on the carpet next to the bed, on her old black Converse All-Stars. She remembered wearing them at the Military Academy all those years ago. Misa wavered for a few moments, then picked up the shoes from the floor and stared at them carefully. Were still perfect.
The automatic doors swung open with a quiet hiss. Crossing that spot was like passing from the cold space fortress bulkheads to the amazing, futuristic, vital city whose heart was beating inside that giant warship. For Misa that passage was the symbol of the utmost diversity, of the conflict and contradiction that Macross carried within itself. That's why she never ceased to be fascinated with it, not yet now, as she walked firmly through those few meters and reached the other side.
The ceaseless music greeted her: that ceaseless music that for six months had accompanied the life of all those brave people, at the same time prisoners and pioneers of space.
Music everywhere, all the time. Misa inhaled the scent of the artificial summer and the warm breeze that was being released from special vents disguised among the fake clouds in the fake blue sky... it was a beautiful day.
The forecourt was a kind of gallery that from above provided a clear view of the city's main square: stores and cafés were setting up for the night shift. Passers-by were increasing. Misa noticed many military uniforms, mostly of young pilots, determined to have as good a time as possible in their off hours.
Then she saw him. He was a few feet away, leaning back listlessly on the railing: his torso pressed against the steel handrail, his arms dangled out, his legs slightly parted: everything about him was extremely leisurely and casual and Misa, not knowing why, felt thrilled. After a couple of minutes of hesitation, in which she wasn't sure if she should call his name or just approach him, she decided to take a few steps towards. She earnestly hoped he would turn his face and catch sight of her before she was forced to speak. She was feeling ashamed as a little girl on a date. But that wasn't by chance a date? Was it?
Misa's cheeks went pink. As expected, he turned around at the sound of her footsteps. As Misa entered his field of vision his whole body tensed up: he straightened his shoulders as the training had taught him, and almost stood at attention. His features were somewhat startled and Misa wondered if there was something on her face. But then she realized that more than startled, Hikaru was... well, stunned.
He slightly parted his lips to speak, but all he got was a shaky
-Hey...
-Hey
replied Misa.
Then, they both took a few steps closer. They faced each other, and smiled awkwardly at each other.
Hikaru was wearing a simple black shirt with small buttoned collar, it looked like it was a new one; a black windbreaker with no kind of logo and a pair of jeans that were pretty worn instead. His unruly hair must have been combed with some vigor. Her face was slimmer. Misa could swear his ears looked thinner too. Hikaru glanced at Misa many times from head to toe: that dress emphasized her long slender legs and the bare skin around her knees was slightly flushed.
On her feet she wore some old faded black Converse All-Stars. Her hair was loose, shiny and silky, and the light makeup she wore made her look fresh and enticing. Hikaru smiled and instinctively moved closer. His movement and the way he had approached alarmed Misa.
She thought he would kiss her there on the street and for a moment she stood frozen. But Hikaru only looked into her eyes for long breaths.
-You look... uh ehr... good
he said, and Misa flushed with pleasure.
-Arigato...**
she murmured.
Then, with an embarassed determination, she started to down the stairs. Hikaru followed her, staying a few steps behind.
-Shall we go, then?
she said cheerfully, turning towards him. But then she caught sight of his look and all the cheerfulness disappeared immediately.
Hikaru stood still on the stairway, his eyes pointing to the huge advertising banner fixed on the main building. It was playing a video clip of Minmay. Misa turned around, bitterly, and started watching it too. Time seemed to expand immensely as she, wrapped in her yellow silk dress with a heart-shaped neckline, sang...
Silver moon
Red moon
You are so cold, Shanghai dandy...
The smoke of gitanes gets in my eyes.
As the night makes the gypsy violin cry
Two glasses and a bottle of wine
dampen my burning passion for you.
As lonely as I may be, if I dance
it will bring a breath of fresh air into my heart...***
Hikaru walked down the next two steps and stopped at Misa's side, then they both remained silent as the song was over and Minmay was replaced by a pop band.
-It's strange isn't it?
said Misa abruptly
-Miss Minmay is somewhere far away but we can still hear her singing... like she was here
-Yeah...
-As if... as if she was still alive!
Misa's voice had a tinge of despair in it. In a masochistic twist, she wanted to bring up that subject with him.
But Hikaru said instead
-Is kind of nostalgic, isn't it?
Misa tilted her face three-quarters, to gaze at him.
-Nostalgic?
-Yes... it's just been a month or so since I took Minmay into space, but... it seems a long time ago.
Hikaru paused, he wanted to ask Misa if she thought Minmay might still be alive, but he couldn't bring himself to utter these words.
Misa nodded and said nothing, relieved that he didn't want to deal with THAT topic
Come on Misa, this is just a night off, don't be so uptight.
She forced herself to smile, knowing that her smile would never be as beautiful and charming as Minmay's.
With this one and a thousand fears more in her heart, she kept walking beside Hikaru: he was also intimately oppressed, but not for the reasons Misa could have guessed.
The huge traffic island, planned to fully replicate the majestic Shibuya crossing, was crowded with passersby. Private and military vehicles honked their horns at every traffic light change. Both young and not-so-young people darted down the sidewalks on flying scooters and prop-driven skateboards. The city was, as always, full of life. As the traffic lights changed, Hikaru and Misa were knocked over by pedestrians coming from all directions.
Their reflexes, despite their rigorous training, were not as alert as once and they got tossed from right to left. A giggle escaped Misa's lips as Hikaru yelled at a guy
-Hey watch out!
Hikaru let go a chuckle as well, as he patted the base of his neck. Then his arm brushed against Misa's. He gingerly grabbed her bare elbow and she struggled to stifle a moan as redness tinged her ears.
-Here, this way...
That one mere touch left a trail of feelings in both of them.
Hikaru shivered to the tips of his hair as he felt her silky, smooth skin. Instantly flashes of her naked body crowded his mind.
It was a memory, he was sure, he could never get over.
Hikaru glanced at her again, covertly, from behind his shoulder, surprised at realizing how different she was now from the haughty officer he had kissed on the forehead, in the elevator, only few hours earlier. At the same time, she was also different from the passionate, stubborn, carnal lover who had shared with him that long wandering on the raveged earth.
He looked at her now and didn't see his superior officer but some shy, beautiful college student on a first date. Hikaru lingered on the curve of her breasts, barely visible from the delicate fabric of her dress. Misa kept her coat draped in the crease of the elbow while the bag chain dangled swayingly from her shoulder. Her legs were perfect and suddenly, again! he thought of her nude floating in that pool of water.
He ran a hand over his face.
-Ichijo-kun, you all right?
Misa asked as they stopped
-Yeah... I just ... saw a Café Variation bar right there...
he answered hastily.
-You want to go there?
Misa smiled. It was a classy place and she hadn't expected that kind attentiveness from him.
-I always thought it was a nice place to hang out with a girl...uh, I mean, in general...
Hikaru grinned awkwardly.
-Oh, I really like it too.
As they sat on a table right in front of the window they enjoyed the artificial sunset of Macross City.
-It's beautiful, isn't it?
said Misa
-It reminds me so much of Japan's skies
-Yes
retorted Hikaru
-That kind of sunset, the colors of the sky... I never seen it anywhere, and believe me, I've been all over the places
Misa looked surprised and set her eyes on him.
-I... I've been around the world as a stunt pilot... with my father and Focker sempai, remember?
-Did you travel to many places?
Languidly, Misa leaned a cheek on the back of her hand.
-Sure it must have been wonderful...
-Yep! Especially since it was a great excuse to skip school!
They both burst out laughing
-But look I took online classes. I managed to get the damn degree!
-Mmh your grades weren't that bad, anyway...
-What?!what.. wait... how d'ya know about my grades!?
Misa raised a hand to her lips, struggling to stifle a giggle.
-Oh... ok... please don't think I'm a control freak or whatever but, remember when I chewed you out in my office for the concert stuff?****
Hikaru huffed
- How could I forget?
-Well, you know, I... I was wondering how you could have passed the entrance tests to get into Skull Squadron and so...
Misa flushed
-So I used my own rank privileges to peek at your scores, they were really high! Pretty amazing...oh please don't hate me for doing this!
Hikaru smiled charming
-So, you've reconsidered about the stupid airhead pilot who was an idiot and an incompetent, didn't you!?
Misa brought her index finger to her lips.
-Mmh... no? Nope... I kept thinking that you really were an idiot and an airhead...
-We were totally right to call you oni*****! You are so naughty Miss Hayase!
They both grinned in complicity as they sipped their Irish Coffee.
-It's just crazy how things have changed now...I mean, you and I...
Hikaru's voice had suddenly become deep and husky. His hand wandered bashfully across the surface of the table until it reached hers. Misa's fingernails were rosy, with a small pale crescent on the rim.
Looking at them Hikaru felt a sudden wave of tenderness wash over him.
-Yes... if none of this had happened we would still be at each other's throats!
said Misa trying to be cheerful but suddenly feeling a strange rush of excitement.
Hikaru's fingertips had reached hers. He encircled her hand with the warmth of his own.
He thought that everything that had happened was worth it. To be like this with her. Yet he couldn't bring himself to speak those words.
Misa lifted her eyes. Hikaru's gaze was serious, and almost thrilled. She swallowed hard as she returned the squeeze on his hand.
-Ichijo...
he smiled, the same way he had smiled at her that day in the ruined house in the alien city. When her whole world seemed to have fallen apart and she had burst into tears.
The artificial sun set on the skyline behind the highest buildings was gradually giving way to the purplish blue of twilight.
They walked close together following their own elongated shadows on the pavements: they were bordering a park dotted with large trees full of green leaves. The scent was intoxicating. Hikaru vividly recalled when she had met Minmay in that very park, that fateful night. She was wearing big dark glasses: a bit poor as a disguise when the rest of her gorgeous body was quite exposed no wonder she had been recognized almost immediately, at that restaurant.
Hikaru's thoughts grew murky with every step. Despite Misa's closeness, his sense of guilt for all that had happened was keeping him on the edge.
it's probably your last day with her and you're spoiling it...
No fancy restaurants or even the infamous Little White Dragon. Hikaru and Misa agreed.
Let's go somewhere we don't know.
At last they settled on a small place along a quaint street tucked between two grand buildings. Both sides of the road were dotted with diners, leaving little room for pedestrians. Stalls and benches were arranged on the sidewalks all the way to the street. Vehicles were prohibited from entering.
-Come, here
said Hikaru , slipping an arm around Misa's waist, and gently pushing her. Then he lifted up on his toes to shift the ribbon curtain that hung swaying over the door. Misa entered first and sat down on a large, low wooden bench. She crossed her legs and rested her elbows on the counter. Misa glanced around in delight. A delicious aroma of shoyu and roasted meat flooded into the small tavern. Hikaru beckoned to the owner, then sat down next to her. They looked at each other and grinned nervously.
Misa couldn't believe it, but her stomach was completely shut down. So many days spent starving and now not a hint of hunger.
But maybe she was just tense. For some reason, since they had left the Café Variation she had been feeling like... observed. Like there was someone watching from afar in her direction. But she wasn't going to tell Hikaru... Once again she figured he might take her for the same boring obasan.
Yet they had been chuckling and joking for a while but... Of course Minmay was supposed to be incredibly more likeable than she was.
Misa sighed. She recalled watching a talk show where Minmay wittily answered the anchor's questions, driving the entire audience crazy.
-Heyyy Skull 11****** to Delta 1! Delta 1, you there? The comm seems to be down!
Misa shuddered and turned to Hikaru with alarm.
-Excuse me...
-You were temporarily offline, I spotted you.
Then, suddenly, he approached her, leaning an elbow on the table and resting his chin on his clenched fisted hand. Their faces dangerously close, noses almost touching. Misa got lost in Hikaru's crystal blue gaze.
-I...
he murmured cautiously.
-Yes?
she whispered
-Don't think I'm crazy, but for a while now... I..I got the feeling that someone's tracking us...
Her eyes opened wide as she swept a strand of hair behind her shoulder. She cast a glance behind them
-Oh. Ichijo-kun ...I wasn't going to tell you this.. I thought you'd think I was paranoid but...I've got the same feeling myself since...
-Since we crossed the park?
Misa nodded emphatically and Hikaru quickly bit his lower lip.
-Maybe it's someone from the Skull who recognized me. Or maybe your fellow girls on the bridge. Who knows, maybe someone saw us and...
Misa grew pensive for a moment
-No one ... no one here on Macross should know that we are back... that we are alive.
At these remark Hikaru gasped. His lips parted but he said nothing.
-I, it's just my guess because...because I didn't get a chance to talk ...to talk officially with anyone! Oh Ichijo-kun I don't even know if we did the right thing going into town like nothing happened...
Her tone was distressed and Hikaru felt a twinge of pain in his chest.
Maybe she's just ashamed to be with me...
Then they stayed silent.
Hikaru reached for one of Misa's hands, resting on her lap. In the process he brushed against the smooth, firm skin of her thigh. It was warm and Hikaru willingly lingered a few seconds longer with the back of his hand pressed on that spot. Misa's heart started to suddenly throb too quickly. She took a breath and stared into his eyes.
-No! I don't want to go!
she said out loud without any thinking, then she returned his grip and coughed, clearing her throat.
-I don't want to leave, if that's what you were about to ask...
She looked at him with pleading eyes unable to say anything more.
Hikaru, still holding his hand on her lap, squeezed harder her thin fingers trapped in his palm
-Ok...
- I could die, I could burst right now!
Hikaru held both hands on his belly as he walked with some effort down the street that led them back downtown.
They had had a few beers and a couple of shots of sake while devouring two bowls of yaki udon with shrimps, pork, vegetables, and a side of egg. The servings were the size of Misa's face, and both wondered if they would be able to finish it all. But in remembrance of the perpetual hunger they had gone through, neither of them dared to leave anything less than a clean plate.
Drinking had made Hikaru a little tipsy: unlike his sempai Roy, he wasn't the drinking type, and he started feeling a bit light-headed.
The artificial air temperature had decreased according to the night schedule. Misa looked at the big clock on the topmost tower of Macross city: it read 11.30 pm. They were back in the middle of the crowd, growing as the night wore on. The atmosphere was different too, in a way more somber and sensual, and the class of people passing through the big crossing, was of the type who wants to enjoy all the night pleasures: The UN Spacy suits shone amidst the neon lights: pilots, officers and scientists crowded bars, pubs and pachinko arcades, and theaters, as the multi-screen cinema where the movie Shao Pai Long******* was being played for the umpteenth time.
As they walked past a squad of soldiers Hikaru quickly lowered his head, but none of them glanced at him. Misa was happy about it: no one was looking at her, no one expected anything from her. At that very moment there was only Hikaru and herself. Just like in the Alien city, there were just two people, a man and a woman. Time was for the two of them, alone.
-...Actually I... had to notch two holes in my belt! My clothes fit loose.
said Hikaru as they kept on walking.
-My muscles lost tone...I should...
I should go back to the gym to train soon.
But the thought of his impending court-martial made him blink.
Misa glanced at him encouragingly:
-We should be back to training soon. My clothes all fit pretty loose too
she said cheerfully
Hikaru dropped his gaze to the floor.
-Yes...
Suddenly, before they knew it, they found themselves facing the elevator to the Observatory.
Misa blushed remembering her dream. Hikaru noticed it and wondered if Misa didn't know that he already had been in there... with Minmay, during their date.
They were thinking two different ways but both were feeling awkward and nervous.
The slight drunkenness that had kept them laughing and chatting just a while ago, had gone, giving way to silent, clumsy embarrassment. Hikaru was blocked in everything he wanted to do, feeling like he was in some sort of limbo that he couldn't get out of.
He was there, with Misa, and she was smiling at him and responding to his shy handshakes but otherwise... the deep intimacy, the visceral and spiritual bond that had connected them in those days on the Earth seemed hidden, gone somewhere upon their return to Macross.
Misa thought the same, but in her stubborn, masochistic way, she blamed it all on the still unresolved crush he had on Minmay.
He tried hanging out with me and realized how ordinary and boring I am. It's not like when we were on Earth and I was the only available person...but now...I'm sure he's...he's already sick of me.
Hikaru on his side was thinking about his imminent punishment. About how he would be downgraded and expelled from the UN Spacy. About how Misa would be disappointed in him. It wasn't like when, on Earth, she had desperately been in need of him, now...
That's why she's so cool, so confident. I'm sure she'll get a rank rise while I'll be demoted to civilian. I won't be able to do anything because I only know about flying planes. And she'll never want to be with me... She's too smart for someone like me.
-Shall we go on up?
she murmured.
At least she would end the night in her favorite place aboard Macross. A place where she had spent those lonely hours studying the Zentraedi civilization and thinking about her lost love, Riber von Fruhling. Solitary tears had rolled down her cheeks so many times. No one was there for her. But then Hikaru Ichijo had come along and had rocked her whole world.
No, she didn't want to let him go.
The elevator ascended at a dizzy speed. The transparent walls let you glimpse the spectacular view of the city from above. The bulkheads were, as every night, retracted, and you could see the stars. But this time they were small and distant, because the sky was the above the Earth.
No ... I won't let him go
The Observatory was frequented by young couples and gangs of teens: most of them were drinking Petit cola from the regular dispenser drones that loitered on the terrace.
Misa and Hikaru took a few casual steps toward the big main gallery, then Misa leant forward balancing on her toes and pointed with her index below them.
-If you look down you can see the alien city...
Hikaru leaned his head down too, but got his eyes caught on Misa's skirt, which had risen several inches and let more than expected to be seen.
Hikaru felt a bead of sweat on his forehead.
-Uh... ehr..
Carefully, he positioned right behind her so as to cover the view of her legs to any eventual audience. He stretched his arms over the railing, covering her entirely with his body.
Misa suddenly felt his weight on her back and had to stifle a squeal. She squirmed and twisted until she was facing Hikaru.
-Hey what you doing...?!
she said harshly
-Sorry I...
Hikaru frowned.
-...I just...
Misa placed both hands on his chest pushing him away in disappointment: this ended obfuscating Hikaru.
-Hey! Look, I was just covering you up!
-Covering?
Misa was annoyed
- What the hell are you saying?
-That is! I was covering you because in that position, it wont took too long before everyone in the room would see your panties!
At that very moment Misa's face turned crimson. Her ears were burning. Instinctively she pulled the hem of her dress down.
-This is absolutely NOT true!
she hissed, simultaneously glancing around
Hikaru wore again that arrogant grin that always send her over the edge.
-You should select the length of your skirts more carefully, Hayase!
Then he walked a few steps away and slipped both hands into his pockets.
This was the straw that broke the camel's back for Misa.
-What you said!? Ichijo! Say it again if you dare!
Hikaru looked her square in the eyes, still grinning with arrogance.
-I SAID your panties WERE showing!
he said in a even louder voice.
Misa gasped, throwing at him and plugging his mouth with both palms.
Hikaru took a few steps backwards, caught off guard: he staggered first to the back and then to the front and had to hold on to her waist to keep his balance.
They stood for a few moments in that silly pose. Misa with her hands on his face and he leaning towards her. When they realized the idiocy of the whole thing they burst into giggles. Misa pulled her hands back from his face but didn't move away: she rested her palms on his shoulders. Hikaru gripped her slender waist tighter and drew her closer. From a distance they looked like two lovers making up after a skirmish. Maybe that was what they they were. Either way, that bickering had managed to break through the barrier of miscommunication that had loomed over them, throughout the evening. Now it was as if they had both found the key combination to re-enter their love code, the one they had established on Earth, long ago. Now they knew each other again.
-Sorry...
said Hikaru quietly as he hugged her.
He brushed her forehead with his chin, then rested his cheek on her hair as he closed his eyes and inhaled her sweet scent.
-It seems like we always end up fighting
Misa nodded rubbing her nose in the curve of his neck
- Maybe that's what we do best together!
he murmured
Misa hugged him tighter as she settled more comfortably in his arms.
-I can think of other things we do best together...********
Then she squeezed her eyes, marveling at her own boldness. Her heart was pounding against his chest. At those words, at her sweet voice, Hikaru was invaded by an incoming warmth. Feeling his physiological response growing more and more uncontrollable, and not wanting to embarrass himself further, he moved slightly into the embrace and took her hand.
-Come here...
he said pulling her towards a bench in front of the huge window. Their jacket and trenchcoat ended up rolled up and dumped on the backrest. Hikaru opened his arms and Misa curled up against him.
She pressed her hip and thigh against his, as he gently ran his fingertips over the bare skin of her arm, back and forth...Misa settled one cheek on his chest. Just like in her dream. They didn't speak for a while as they lingered in each other's scent. Hikaru took a strand of her hair and slid it between his fingers and Misa suddenly became self conscious of the way he was looking at her. His eyes blazed, and that feeling, that feeling was the same one she had felt that night in the house in the ancient city. The feeling of being adored.
In that moment everything that had happened in that long grueling day had ceased to be that moment there were only the two of them, on a bench overlooking the ocean, and the starry night that shone over an alien city risen from the seas.
Hikaru turned three-quarters, sweeping his fingertips over her face: gently skimming the flesh of her lips, he stroked the line of her jaw and over the curve of her neck. Thenhe moved closer. A lock of unruly hair spilled over his forehead, covering one of his eyes and their lips brushed. Then Misa was suddenly seized with the feeling that someone nearby was watching, and she stiffened.
Hikaru's eyes widened
-What is it..?
Misa quickly shook her head, making the small earrings glow
-Nothing... I...
Hikaru shifted on the bench and leaned towards her: he wrapped his big palm around her cheek
-Hey... are you ok?
Misa hesitantly raised her eyes to his, she nodded silently then looked around. The few people still walking along the Observatory were busy with their business, no one was paying attention to them, no one was even giving them a glance. Misa tried to ignore her concern. She clutched his collar firmly, crumpling it between her fingers.
She had missed him so much
-Go on...please.
she muttered shyly
A spark of fire passed through the blue of the pilot's eyes. Just as before, an incandescent heat took over his young body. He felt confused, relieved, excited, impatient. Her precious body was quivering in his arms.
Misa, you still want me...
He firmly gripped the back of Misa's head, making her face tilt up.
She let out a moan as she felt his tongue flick over her lips and work its way inside. She felt that at any moment, she could melt and vanish, like that time in the submarine city, that time when they had made love. She parted her lips and returned his kiss passionately, still clinging to his collar.
She had missed him so much.
-I missed you so much, Misa.
he muttered on her wet mouth.
-Hikaru...
He drew her closer, lifting her by the waist. Misa's hair swirled in the air like a curtain moving in the breeze, and rested gently around her shoulders.
Hikaru ran a hand over her bare knee, caressing the rose-stained skin with his calloused fingers. He worked his way up and down until his fingertips reached the edge of her skirt.
She bit back a weak protest as she was overwhelmed by another mind blowing kiss, then, retrieving what little rationality she had left, she tried to escape his embrace
-Hikaru...
she groaned as he let go of her mouth for a while and started a fire trail along her neck and under her ear.
-Hikaru...
she said more and more weakly as she gripped his hair
He was struggling wildly to avoid touching those parts he wanted more than most to touch,and found himself thinking of a quick way to get rid of that sexy dress, then he heard her calling.
-Stop it, we can't ...
He pulled himself out of that dizziness of fantasy and expectation and looked at her: both were flushed and panting. Misa's chest was throbbing under the thin fabric of the dress.
-I'm sorry..
They sat up straightening their backs, hands on their knees. Then, both ran their hands through their messed hair, glancing at each other and around. The Observatory was almost deserted.
-Well
-You know...
they spoke again at the same time
-You first...
Misa grinned awkwardly then stared at the floor for a long time, fiddling with the toe of her shoe on the artificial pebbles of the path.
-Its just... you're so...
Hikaru summoned all his strength to be able to say what was on his mind: but he only said
-You're different...
Misa looked at him in shock
Again?
-Oh Ichiijo-kun what does that mean!? That' s the second time you've said it today!
Her eyes bent down and her mouth was pouty. She hugged her shoulders as she kept looking at the floor.
Then she suddenly stood up on her feet.
-Different...
she took a few steps forward and turned to an astonished Hikaru. She was smiling brightly
-Well, at least our shoes are perfectly matched!
Hikaru stayed puzzled for a moment then he glanced at his feet and then at hers. And then he looked at her face again. It was true... the shoes were the identical.
Hikaru's were bigger, of course, and more well preserved. Misa's were worn on the tips and a little faded.
She was so beautiful dressed like that. But she was beautiful anyway, in all the ways he had seen her. Even in a gown made from the fabric of a parachute. How could he tell her that ever since they met that morning, he couldn't think of anything else? That he was just dying to make love to her?
Hikaru jumped up and wrapped his arms around her waist. Misa lifted up on her toes and hugged him back.
-Please let's go...let's go somewhere...where we can be alone, just you and me.
Misa's heart skip a beat.
She blushed, hiding her face on his chest. She nodded against the material of his shirt.
-Yes Hikaru... yes...
to be continued
notes:
*Obasan - Old lady in Japanese
**Arigato - Thank you in Japanese
***English lyrics translation of "Silver moon Red moon" performed by Mari Ijiima - Lynn Minmay (Macross OST)
**** In the first chapter the DYRL light novel by Sukehiro Tomita, Misa scolded Hikaru because he tried to use his military rank to enter a Minmay gig.
***** Oni - devil in Japanese
****** In DYRL Hikaru is already a member of the Skull Squadron: his plane is Skull 11.
******* Shao Pai Long is Minmay and Kaifun first movie. Its also the first one shot on Macross
******** I know I know! this line is not mine, I've read it in several fics but I couldn't resist using it! I think it fits perfectly to the pair Hikamisa lol.
edit 13/05
Oh God I found missing parts in the writing again... perhaps it may happen by using copy and paste. I immediately fixed it, sorry for the mistakes.
Anyway I take the opportunity to thank my buddies for posting a review. I love you 3
Hi everyone! Here is the 2nd chapter of Return to Macross :))
I want to dedicate it to all the readers who commented asking for a sequel to Earth Wanderers, I felt so inspired from you.
I also want to say a huge thank you to those who reviewed the first chapter.
See you soon
Mao
(reviews and feedback are veeery appreciated)