Hello people, and welcome back to Highschool of the Dead: Resurrection. I'm back with another arc, on my birthday no less. Now, this one involves more of Takashi, because I couldn't help but notice that there's been a pretty serious lack of screentime on his part, and even then, he's been treated as just another side-character. I know my intention was to give as many characters as wide-spread screentime as possible but...yeah, look how that worked out...
Once night fell, Rei stood by the window of her and Takashi's apartment, with nothing but the nearly-full moon as her only light source as she looked out at the city, in a bathrobe, with a thoughtful look on her face. She eventually set her eyes on Saeko and Itachi's apartment, and sighed at the idea of what he went through because of the Ghosts. Even the door to their bedroom opening and a shirtless Takashi stepping out to see her didn't stop her train of thought.
"Aren't you tired?" Takashi asked as he approached Rei from behind.
"How can I sleep? It's been almost a week, and Itachi is still not in good condition." She said, then Takashi embraced her from behind, and Rei leaned into him while deflating.
"He'll be fine. Saeko is keeping an eye on him, and Miss Shizuka is putting her medical know-how to use." Takashi said.
"His body might be o.k...but his mind is probably in the most fucked up place it's ever been in. I mean...he was tortured with ice and electricity at the same time! Jesus Christ..." Rei said seriously.
"That man probably had more than one visit from Jesus if he's still kicking after all of this, physically or mentally." Takashi said and Rei sighed.
"No kidding...but at least the Ghosts are down and out." She said.
"Yeah, now that we've busted up their home turf, I doubt we'll hear from any others, if there are any." Takashi said.
"Or they'll get pissed and attack us...but then again, they'll get the same treatment." Rei said.
"Damn straight." Takashi said, and Rei smiled.
"Go get some of that plum wine." She said.
"I like the way you think." Takashi said, before fetching the bottle and pouring them each a glass as Rei approached.
"To Itachi's recovery." She said as Takashi gave her a glass.
"To the asses we've kicked, and the asses we will kick." Takashi said before they each down their wine...and groaning from the intensity of the flavor.
"Shit on a stick...! I don't know if this booze hits harder, or if Corporal Toriyama's fists do..." Rei said.
"Wow, good luck getting an accurate comparison there..." Takashi said, then Rei giggled, before sighing again.
"Takashi...during our ride last night, did you feel any nostalgia?" She asked.
"How can I not? We rode a motorcycle back when this all started." Takashi said.
"And now we have another..." Rei trailed off.
"Where are you going with this?" Takashi asked.
"Nowhere special, but...it hit me pretty hard once it crossed my mind." Rei said, before hugging Takashi.
"Rei?" He asked.
"Just...just hold me..." Rei breathed out, and Takashi immediately wrapped his arms around her. For a moment, he recalled the little girl Rei used to be; the same one he made a promise to marry when they grew up. Now here she was, in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, at his side, as a young woman, with the heart and body to match.
Eventually, Takashi gently pushed Rei back, and shared a soft look with her as she opened her mouth slightly. The moment Takashi's eyes fixed upon her enticing lips, he automatically leaned forward as Rei did the same until their mouths were locked together. Both of their breathing and heart rates spiked as they felt the warmth, softness, and substance of each other's lips, and their simply hug turned into a gentle yet hungry kiss.
Rei opened her bathrobe and let her full, naked breasts press into Takashi's sculpted torso, along with her legs partially entwining with his, and each of them wrapped their arms around each other with more tightness than before. Their mouths however never changed their position unlike the rest of their bodies; their tongues even remained in their own mouths rather than dance together. Despite the plum wine lowering their inhibitions...this was a moment of simple passion instead of a craving for each other's flesh, and it was not going to be wasted for anything.
The two then pulled back with their lips making a quiet sucking sound, and each let off a breathy sigh before looking into each other's lidded eyes. They each knew the other thought the same thing: that kiss must have lasted about a minute or so, but even then, each second felt like a century. The moon outside illuminating each other as they stood almost completely naked in the middle of their living room heightened the intimacy to a level neither could measure, even without their minds being focused on nothing but the flawless moment they were living in.
"Let's go to bed now..." Takashi whispered.
"Yes." Rei breathed out, and Takashi walked her to bed, before shedding his underwear, and Rei opened the blankets for them both before Takashi joined her in bed. She then laid Takashi's solidified manhood against his abdomen as she climbed on top of him, and shared one final kiss with him. While their lips remained locked together, Rei pressed her breasts against Takashi's chest even more, and his hands slid up the sides of Rei's round, soft butt and gave every square inch a gentle yet thorough squeeze. Rei then broke the kiss, shared a smile with Takashi, then laid down with her head next to his as his hands slid up her back and wrapped around her midsection. Rei then inhaled Takashi's scent before sighing in contentment, and Takashi followed her example.
"Are you still worried about Itachi?" Takashi asked.
"No...at least, not as much..." Rei said. then Takashi touched her face.
"Rei...baby, stop worrying..." He said softly before pulling Rei into another kiss.
"You know...it's hard to worry about anything when you kiss me like that." She breathed out.
"And it's even harder to keep myself from fucking you whenever you talk to me like that." Takashi said, and Rei chuckled.
"Well...if it's the same with you, I don't want to have sex right now, even if I was on the pill, or if we had any condoms for that matter." She said.
"Oh well, we've had good time, it's best not to ruin it...somehow." Takashi said.
"Right...good night baby." Rei said.
"Good night." Takashi said before holding Rei close as they went to sleep.
In the morning, the pair rejoined the others in Shizuka and Masato's apartment, and once they got there, Alice insisted on going to see Itachi...and no one could refuse her. Even Masato for all his laser-focused insistence on preparing for their next fight with the undead was powerless against Alice's innocent concern for Itachi's well-being, even if Itachi wasn't the group's best scout by far. With that, Alice rushed over to Saeko and Itachi's apartment, and even the smell of Saeko cooking didn't slow Alice down...and she was too focused on Itachi to notice Saeko was in an apron, without any clothes on.
Once Alice opened the door to the room Itachi was in...she gasped and covered her face the moment she saw Itachi sitting up.
"Itachi!" Alice exclaimed as she rushed over to throw her arms around Itachi's frame.
"Alice?" Itachi asked, and held onto her as she bawled her eyes out into Saeko's neck. Itachi simply sat still as Alice released her distress over the sorry state Itachi was in for days on end, which didn't surprise him in the least; Alice hasn't changed one bit since he knew her. Meanwhile the others came in...and no one ignored Saeko's state of undress; Kohta even nosebled over it.
"For fuck's sake Saeko, did you have to show your ass off to the world?" Saya asked.
"All of you have seen me naked before, and me and Itachi are no longer virgins; I have nothing to hide. Besides...he needs my body as much as he needs the food I serve him." Saeko said.
"O.k...too much information." Saya said.
"Anyway, last night-" She cuts Saeko off.
"I said too much information!" Saya snapped.
"I wasn't going to say what you're thinking. Now, I spoke to Itachi more about why he was captured in the first place...and what was going to happen if we didn't save him in time." Saeko said.
"I'm alittle afraid to ask..." Takashi said.
"That would be best. Although, the original assumption about what we did last night was correct, but that's beside the point." Saeko said, and Saya facepalmed.
"You're hopeless..." She groaned.
"Why was he captured if not for revenge?" Masato asked, then Saeko sighed.
"It's because of the person he used to be; the Ghost's leader, Kazama, believed that Itachi's former self represented everything that was wrong with the world. To be more precise, Kazama believed Itachi was a prime example of why outsiders were not to be trusted." She said.
"Yet they attacked us multiple times, unprovoked, and were completely unwilling to share their side of the story until it was too late." Takashi said.
"Apparently so." Saeko said.
"Then they doomed themselves in the long run." Masato said simply, and Shizuka immediately thought back to the time Masato kept her from being violated by a group of Ghosts...by going berserk.
"Are you alright?" Rei asked.
"Oh...yes, I just...got lost in thought..." Shizuka said.
"That's a first..." Saya breathed out.
"Anyway, how is Itachi doing now?" Takashi asked.
"Let's find out." Saeko said.
"If we can get Alice away from him; she wouldn't shut up about him ever since we got back." Rei said as they went to see Itachi...only to see Itachi holding Alice as she continued to pour her heart out.
"She took this more seriously than she let on..." Kohta trailed off.
"No kidding. I don't remember the last time I saw her cry like that." Takashi said.
"Quiet, both of you." Rei said, and they kept observing what was happening as Saeko went back to the food she was cooking.
"Are you still hurt?" Alice asked.
"No...the pain stopped yesterday, although I don't think I should do anything too serious." Itachi said.
"Well, you're strong, and you'r.e not cold anymore.." Alice said.
"Right on both accounts." Itachi said, and Alice backed up to look at Itachi, who thumbed at least most of her tears away.
"I'll glad you're alright..." Alice breathed out.
"And I'm glad to be alright." Itachi whispered before sharing a smile with the little girl in his arms.
"The others are waiting outside for you." Alice said.
"Alright, just let me get dressed and I'll be right out." Itachi said.
"O.k." Alice said before getting up and leaving the room.
Once Itachi got dressed, he joined everyone in the living room of his and Saeko's apartment.
"Alright, the good news is that with the Ghosts out of the way, it's a straight shot to the power plant." Saya said.
"Let me guess, the bad news is that it's not as simple as that?" Itachi asked.
"To put it in terms that go beyond that of an Elementary Schooler, we have no idea if the power plant is in Ghost hands or not." Saya said.
"Or what else could get in the way aside from zombies, and maybe Ghosts that aren't organized." Kohta said.
"Lovely..." Itachi said.
"We should of course look into the power plant from a distance, but...let's face it, none of us are more qualified than you are." Kohta said.
"But Itachi just got better! We can't put him in danger like that!" Alice exclaimed.
"She's right. He might look o.k., but until we know how bad the damage really was, we shouldn't stress his body like that...despite how...well-developed he is-" Saya cuts Shizuka off.
"Anyway...! How about we just take a day or two to see how much he can do while the rest of us get our shit together?" She asked.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Kohta said.
"Me too." Rei said.
"We could go to the park." Alice said.
"Now that sounds heavenly." Shizuka said.
"Alright, it's settled then." Takashi said.
"And while you do that-" Shizuka cuts Masato off and puts up a finger while hardening her gaze.
"Oh no you don't. You're going to come with us to the park, and put your zombie-killing on hold until we're done." She said, and Masato sighed.
"Fine..." He groaned, then Shizuka loosened up and giggled.
"Alright, now we can go." She said, as everyone looked at her funny.
"What...the..fuck did I just witness...?" Saya breathed out.
The group then went to the bus while getting Itachi used to walking as much as he used to and helping him into the bus, mostly thanks to Saeko and Takashi. Once they were there, they took a bus ride to the park, without a single zombie in sight, much to the group's relief. Even Masato was relaxed on the occasion, and he looked for zombies more than anyone else.
When they got to the park, Alice bolted out the door, with Zeke not far behind, and the others followed suit. The group then split up to do various things on their own over the course of the next few hours. Shizuka's time was mostly spent monitoring Alice as she went through and around the jungle gym in the center of the park. Takashi and Rei stuck together of course, with either of them giving Alice a push on the swing whenever it struck her fancy, and at different moments to boot.
Masato for his part, patrolled the perimeter of the park to keep an eye out for zombies, but true to Shizuka's insistence, he never actively pursued any chances to find them. He didn't even bring his SCAR, or any heavy weapons for that matter, but still had his M1911, which he kept at all times, in case things got nasty...but they never did. Much to Shizuka's disappointment, Masato never took part in the group's playtime, and her face soured as a result, despite the minor festivity.
Itachi however kept going over the different things he did at the park, from the time he toyed with a zombie before finally killing it, to the time a Ghost tried to take Alice, only to get an arrow through his face. What struck Itachi the hardest however, was how much he envied Alice's innocence...and how much more powerful it was now. Alice never once had any dark moments, despite being surrounded by darkness of practically every type, yet Itachi became part of it, and will likely be haunted by the price for some time in the future.
He then recalled his conversation with Saeko...specifically about how horribly he was treated as a child by his own parents, and how it lead to him becoming the fiend he was when he first met the group. He then recalled how he told Alice's he'd kill his parents before accepting their apology...and the gravity of that declaration sank in even more than before. This was especially true considering how Itachi was a man of his word to the extreme, which was proven when he said he'd throw a gun before shooting it, only to unironically toss one of his Glocks across a couch before getting to work on it, then put it to use. Granted he meant it as a joke...but it still held unintended psychological consequences...
At one point, Alice asked him to try the jungle gym...and Itachi couldn't say no. Despite how unsteady his body was, he was able to surpass Alice in as many ways one would expect from a man of greater size and prowess. He even slipped in and out of areas that should be too small for him thanks to his knowledge of how the body could be used, like when he bent over, and crouched with his legs spreads out to get underneath a two-foot-high bar. He also went across monkey bars with almost no trouble, although he would normally be able to cross them with almost twice the speed he demonstrated. The whole time however, Alice tried to keep up with him, and it was clear neither saw it as a competition considering how little intensity there was...and Itachi's humility was less subtle than ever, as was his bond with Alice.
Saeko of course kept a close eye on Itachi, not just because of his physical condition, bu because of his mental state. It was no secret he had her heart, but even if he didn't, the contrast on display was a sight to behold, for her, and the rest of the group. Saeko however made special attention to the contrast between the darkness on Itachi's face when he thought of his conversation with Saeko about his twisted childhood, and the happiness Itachi had when playing with Alice. In fact, both Itachi and Saeko had their own turns pushing Alice on the swing when Takashi and Rei were conduction business of their own as the sun started to go down...
"It's amazing how quickly Itachi recovered..." Rei trailed off as the pair went to another part of the park that was more isolated.
"Yeah, say whatever you want about him, but you can't say he's not a tough son of a bitch." Takashi said.
"You know he'd probably take that as a compliment." Rei said.
"Well, I'm not going to call him that to his face." Takashi said.
"That's quite big of you." Rei said.
"You say that like it's not usual." Takashi said, and Rei smirked and shook her head.
"No...I guess it's quite usual." She said before sighing and looking around.
"What?" Takashi asked.
"It's just...well, this has been the most peaceful day we've had in ages, and it's after the most violent time we've had in ages. Now here's Itachi, helping Alice have the time of her life, after recovering from torture of all things." Rei said.
"I see what you mean...I'll bet Hasashi is in Heaven right now watching all of this happen." Takashi said and Rei sighed again.
"He probably is...he probably is..." She breathed out.
"On top of all that, Saeko looked after Itachi like she always does." Takashi said.
"A month ago, she couldn't stand him anymore than we could, and now...well..." Rei trailed off.
"They both lost their v-cards." Takashi said and Rei looked right at him.
"How do you know that?" She asked.
"Itachi told me." Takashi said.
"Well...Saeko told me." Rei said and Takashi scoffed.
"It's a small world alright..." He said, and Rei looked back at the jungle gym Itachi and Alice were still playing on.
"Do you think they'll get married?" Rei asked.
"It wouldn't surprise me...and speaking of which..." Takashi trailed off.
"What?" Rei asked...only to gasp when Takashi extended his pinky towards her.
"Will you marry me, like we promised?" He asked softly...and Rei instantly recalled the time they promised to marry when they were children. When the memory ran it's course, her eyes burned, her breathing hitched, she slowly smiled, and she slowly raised a hand with her own pinky extended. Takashi waited patiently as the gravity of the situation sank in for her, then she wrapped her pinky around his.
"Yes..." Rei whispered while she kept trembling. Takashi then pulled her in for a hug as Rei's eyes watered even more. Rei then slowly pulled Takashi to the ground until they were siting on their knees embracing as tightly as they could.
"I'm sorry I don't have a ring for you..." Takashi said.
"I don't care...you couldn't have picked a better method." Rei breathed out before sharply inhaling and exhaling.
Wow...and the prize for most unusual-yet-appropriate proposal ever goes to...this one. In hindsight, I probably should have built it up a bit more, but hey, surprises are surprises. Speaking of which, I've got a bunch more in store, after my birthday's over, so please give me the gift of Rates, and Reviews, and let my work be what you Share with those you think should know about this, but of course, that's your gift to everyone but me, so birthdays be damned in that case. Anyway, the rest of the arc is on it' way, so stay tuned for it.