~Chapter Sixty Three~
In Sickness and In Health
All I Ever Wanted
Was To See You Smiling.
I Know That I Love You.
And Every Day,
You're In My Head.
I Want To Have You In My Bed.
You Are the One.
All I Ever Wanted
Was To See You Smiling.
All I Ever Wanted
Was To Make You Mine.
All I Ever Wanted…
Was You and Me.
~All I Ever Wanted, by Basshunter
Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.
Still in his sun visor was, as always, the picture from the Ueno Zoo. Our first date…
Warmly, I smiled at the memories of falling in love with him and drifted off to sleep to the gentle purring of the engine, the soft sounds of music playing from the stereo system, and the image of that picture swimming in my mind. A small blonde girl put her hand in the hand of the tall and handsome teenage boy at her side, the both of them smiling softly at each other. She kissed his cheek. He smiled.
Half asleep, I whispered, "I love you so much, Kashi-kun…"
"I love you, too, Sammy-chan."
Smile.
Takashi's P.O.V.
Kami, I hated being sick…
My face hurt with each opening of the eyes or mouth. My teeth throbbed in time to my pulse. My throat itched, burning with frequent coughs and the occasional sniffles or sneeze attack. My stomach churned like the sea. My body ached, being tense and stiff and hot with fever until early this morning, around four o' clock. Thankfully, I had been feeling much better since becoming less feverish. My mother had absently mentioned, while fluttering around, that it had always been like that for me.
Thinking back, I could probably count the number of times that I had been sick with both hands. Most Morinozukas and Haninozukas were really healthy, and because I had the strong genes of both Clans, I had lucked out for most of my childhood. Yes, I had the occasional cold with the sniffles, and I vaguely remembered the spots and itchiness of having the chickenpox as a seven year old. Other than those few instances, however, I proved to be rather resilient, with a good immune system. When told, Sammy had jokingly teased that I should be Osmosis Jones.
"Who is Osmosis Jones?" I had asked the small blonde teenager, confused about the foreign sounding name and the meaning of the unfamiliar reference to what would likely be a movie, book, or cartoon.
My fiancée had slowly smiled at me, and at the sight of her familiar bright and happy expression, I relaxed, smiling back at her. "Well, I could explain it to you, or you could watch the movie. Which will it be?" Sammy chirped in excitement.
"If you stay, I will watch it," I had bargained, nearly whining at the thought of her leaving me. She had been staying in the bedroom next to mine while sick, but I spent plenty of time in there with her. We had been inseparable all weekend.
Sweet Sammy had leaned down to kiss my nose and her bright smile gentled, hands reaching down to brush the hair from my weary eyes. She gently whispered, "I'll stay…"
"His fever is going back down, and it is within the normal temperature range again," Doctor Hayashi announced while checking the thermometer, wiping it down, and returning it to his medical bag. "Your son should be fine with another day of rest, Lady Morinozuka."
My mother gracefully swooped in to put the cold washcloth back over my eyes, covering them to help with my sinus headache. I peeked at her from beneath the edge of the washcloth, using two fingers to lift it up, and I smiled sheepishly at her scolding frown. She had been overbearing in caring for Sammy, but Okaa-san had eventually passed the responsibility to me. It was my responsibility to keep Sammy safe, happy, and healthy. My Koi…
Overbearing yet again, Okaa-san tapped her long fingernails against my arm and sternly tutted, "Put that back over your eyes! Blocking out the light will help with your migraine." The Lady of the Morinozuka Clan turned back around to face Doctor Hayashi. "Where was I…?"
Grumbling, I let the washcloth fall back into place and settled down against the plump pillows to contemplate the Meaning of Life. Because I was not overly philosophical, though, I eventually tired of those thoughts and turned to other forms of entertainment, like thinking about Sammy. My fiancée and I had been glued to each other all weekend, often reading together, watching movies, listening to music, and sharing childhood stories. She cuddled into me and napped beside me, arms over my waist and chest, her short legs tangled in mine. Time had passed quickly while Sammy regained her strength and became well again.
Today, Sammy had returned to her classes at Ouran. My fiancée had been reluctant to return to the school, essentially by herself, but I had asked – well, commanded – Satoshi to take her there and back in his limousine. My little brother eagerly agreed, and Mitsukuni had also promised to look after her at Ouran High School, along with the rest of the Host Club. She had been texting me as well. As of the last text, Sammy had admitted to meeting with Kotoko and accidentally crashing the Cat Cosplay planned by the Host Club. The Heiresses had been hysterical with laughter because Balto, who had been hiding in her backpack, had popped out to chase after Tamaki.
My fiancée had only left for school about eight hours ago. She would also be home soon, with enough notes, homework, and makeup work to entertain me. I should be…happy that Sammy would be returning shortly to continue her stay at Morinozuka Manor, with me. Still, I really missed her…
How is it possible to miss somebody this much if I spend time with them each day?
I sighed softly.
Leaving her place by the bed, Okaa-san nervously (uh, gracefully) paced the length of the large bedroom twice, tapping her nails against her arms, and then worriedly asked, "What exactly has Shi-chan caught, Doctor – Sinusitis, Strep Throat, Mono?!"
Oh, Kami. Why me? Okaa-san had promised to stop using that ridiculously cutesy name and its honorific, especially in front of people from outside the family, like Doctor Hayashi. The Doctor had been my primary physician since I was a very young child, but Hayashi still seemed amused by its return, given the cheerful twinkle in his violet eyes. Okaa-san thought it amusing to refer to me as a sweet child, her little angel – and thus Shi-chan. It had always been her affectionate little nickname for me.
While it had been cute and somewhat sweet at three and four, I was almost nineteen.
And I only wanted to grimace or run away now…
"Takashi-sama simply has the flu, Morinozuka-sama," Doctor Hayashi calmly explained, sharing with her several of his notes and the loopy lines of chicken scratch that served for his shorthand. Tapping his iPad, Hayashi assured, "With plenty of fluids and these antibiotics, Takashi-sama will be fine."
"What? My baby has the flu?! Oh, Shi-chan, you must have caught it from Sammy-chan! With the amount of time that you spend with that sweet girl, though, I am not surprised!" My mother said sympathetically, practically dissolving into tears. I sweatdropped. For some reason or another, Okaa-san seemed to think I might be dying…
"Yeah, Taka-nii-san, you can catch colds from kissing people all the time. You probably caught the flu from Sammy-nee-chan that way," Satoshi offered helpfully, leaning in and popping his head into my room. Such ridiculous implications – kissing all the time – made me scowl.
Yes, Sammy and I kissed, but not that frequently.
…Right?
"Yip!"
My fiancée scampered into the bedroom with Balto, her backpack swinging from her shoulders, and stopped to punch Satoshi in the arm. My little brother whined at her, but Satoshi was much taller – and stronger, too – than Sammy. I doubted that hitting him with her little fist had done all that much damage. If anything, I worried about Sammy breaking her hand by punching Satoshi. Boy had muscles of steel, just like all the rest of the Morinozukas.
"Hey, Sweetheart, I managed to make copies of all of the notes and homework for you," Sammy greeted, bypassing Doctor Hayashi, who had treated her for the flu two days ago. She had been staying with us ever since that Friday, and while Sammy was much better, I had caught her flu.
"Thanks, Sammy-chan," I murmured, reaching out to hold her hand, which had been running through the sweaty strands of hair falling into my eyes. My fiancée squeezed back. She then freshened the damp washcloth with her other hand and dabbed it along my eyes and cheeks, fingers trailing down the bit of stubble there.
My little Koi brightened considerably at the visible signs of returning strength and the warmth in my gray eyes. "Anything for you," Sammy chirped, happily taking the place of my mother, who only put her hand in front of her mouth to hide her smile at hearing the devotion and adoration singing in those three words.
Anything for you!
I love you.
Soon enough, Doctor Hayashi bowed to the four of us and left the Manor with strict instructions for somebody – preferably Sammy, since the girl had already recovered from the flu – to wait on me. Okaa-san immediately pulled Sammy to the side and began sharing the diagnosis with her and, if I guessed correctly, how to keep an eye on me as my strength returned in the next few days. My fiancée seriously saluted the Noblewoman. My mother saluted her in return. I sweatdropped.
"Wow, Okaa-san is actually permitting Sammy-nee-chan to stay in here, in this bedroom, with you?" My brother mused in disbelief. Satoshi gave me an envious look, lips pushed down in a childish pout. He liked girls, too!
"What is with that expression, Ototo-chan?" I warily asked him, feeling like I should keep my mouth shut but forgetting, in the drug induced stupor, why that would be the best idea. At the sight of his infamous mischievous smile, however, I remembered – and far too late, too.
My little brother squeezed in between the nightstand and the bed, glanced back to check that Okaa-san and Sammy were still talking, and put his face next to mine. He deviously (uh, curiously) whispered, "Does that mean you and Sammy-nee-chan will have sex?"
Before I could deny it, Sammy bounced back to this side of the bedroom and leaned down to hug me. Soft lips brushed against my warm skin. My forehead warmed further beneath her gentle affections, and I blushed at the cackle that Satoshi attempted to stifle. With her palms on my chest, Sammy happily exclaimed, "Your Okaa-san said that I could be your nurse!"
Several things then happened at once. My Okaa-san cheerfully announced the need to continue planning our wedding, and honeymoon, and – the upcoming birth of her first grandchild. (WTF?) My brother nearly died with laughter upon seeing the pale face that I turned to the door, through which the (…scary, terrifying, frightening…) Lady Morinozuka had just disappeared, all the while audibly trying out possible baby names. And I nearly passed out from blushing.
Falling back into my pillows, I silently wondered which would take longer – smothering myself with the pillow, or succumbing to heat stroke from the force of the blush staining my ears, nose, and neck?
Oblivious to the sudden tension in the air, Sammy readjusted the pile of blankets surrounding my upper torso and legs, and patted them down with two small palms. "No worries, Takashi-kun! I'll look after you," My Koi solemnly promised with serious blue eyes.
Feeling sleepy, and thus playful, I tugged at the bottom of her blue long sleeve shirt and flirted, "Why would I worry? You always look after me, and after seeing your cute smile, I feel better already." My mouth opened in a yawn.
Cheeks pink, Sammy beamed, blue irises shining brightly at the compliments. Satoshi, however, snorted. My brother stared at me, and I glared back, silently daring the mischievous little imp to speak the teasing words and insinuations that I could practically hear buzzing around in his evil little mind. Ever the annoying little sibling, Satoshi always picked moments like these to embarrass us. I glared at him and then sighed, fondly thinking: Brat.
Ignoring the dark glare I leveled at him, Satoshi put his hands together, batted his eyelashes, and cooed, "You can call her Nurse Joy! Because Sammy-nee-chan is going to bring you so much joy that –"
Flustered, I smiled at Sammy in embarrassment, appreciating her kind words and attention, and then whirled back around to glower at my younger sibling. My world started spinning, and I barely managed to keep down my medicine, but I still growled, "Dammit, Satoshi, I –"
Sniffle. Cough. Cough. Cough. Sneeze.
"…Satoshi-chan, Takashi-kun!"
Both Satoshi and I paled.
Just like Okaa-san!
Hands to her hips, Sammy pointed her finger at my younger sibling, poking it into his chest, and scolded, "Out, Satoshi-chan! You are clearly upsetting Takashi-kun! He's not going to get better if this keeps up." My girl eyed him. "You need to leave before you get sick, too."
"But Sammy-nee-chan!" Satoshi whined while curling his arms over my – yes, my – woman. He put his head between her neck and her shoulder and pouted at the older teenager, lips protruding cutely. "I think I might have already caught it! Shouldn't I stay here with you, too?"
"When Hell freezes over," Sammy deadpanned, before prying the parasitic teenager off of her shoulder and shoving the boy to the door, her hands buried in the small of his back, small feet pushing with all of her might.
As Satoshi boasted several extra inches, Sammy initially had difficulty pushing him through the bedroom, even with Balto nipping at his heels and chasing him in the direction of the bedroom door. My fiancée eventually decided to stop playing nice; Sammy turned around and shoved harder by pushing both feet into the floor, and finally shut – and locked – the door in his face. My brother then whined from the other side. A gleeful smile curled her laughing lips.
Chuckling, I gestured for her to return to the bed. My fiancée cutely tilted her head at me, a curious expression lighting her face from the inside, and then bounced through the bedroom. She paused at the side of the bed and sweetly inquired if I need anything. I stared at her – the cute, sweet, intelligent girl that I had slowly fallen in love with this past year. Silver irises observed her body and her features from head to toe, drinking them in deeply.
My Koi, Sammy, was wearing her favorite long sleeve shirt, its light blue color brining out the brightness in her sky blue eyes. A pair of black skinny jeans hugged her lower half, modestly showcasing her thick waist and thighs, the curvier figure that I loved. She had taken her blue plaid sneakers and her socks off at the front door, placing them by the tatami mats, her clean fingernails and toenails painted in glittery white polish. Wild blonde hair swirled down her shoulders, falling to the small of her back, and several strands fluttered in front of her eyes.
Everything about her seemed relaxed, familiar and comforting, and yet…
Beautiful, I thought, oblivious to the small smile that curled both lips up as my eyes warmed with affection and love. Sammy-chan is beautiful, inside and out, and all mine.
"Wow, I have never seen you so out of it before! You get strange if exhausted, but this is just weird," Sammy noted with amusement, seating herself at the edge of the bed and bracing her right leg against the floor. Lips tilted in a smile. "Do you need anything, Takashi-kun?"
"Ah," I immediately returned and, without giving thought to the action or any consequences it might bring, I yanked her down and kissed her with fervor. I only pulled back long enough to growl – "You."
Gasping softly, Sammy returned the kiss, her lips molding to mine with ease. I remembered the first time I had kissed her – the blush, the hesitation – and compared it to this ease with which Sammy and I molded together while kissing, and during other intimate activities. I groaned quietly against neck, pulling her down to cover my arms and torso, and angled her chin to continue pressing hot lips to hers. My Koi hummed into the kiss.
A small hand finally pushed against mine, the gentle touch halting the kiss and, unfortunately, the direction that the kiss would eventually lead. Face flushed and lips bruised from kissing, Sammy pulled back to straddle me, arms and hands braced beside mine. She panted lightly, frizzed hair falling haphazardly from her barrettes, into her face, and blue met silver eyes. Sammy and I stared silently at each other, simply observing, breathing…
"Poor Sweetheart," Sammy softly said, her smile soft, and pushed her fingers through the shiny black hair falling into my eyes. I usually spiked it, but since I had remained in bed for the past two days, I had not bothered to style it. Instead, I let it fall down naturally against my ears.
A sigh escaped at the feeling of being comforted.
My lover grinned cutely and inquired, "Does that feel good?"
Happily, I hummed in content at her continued petting. "Mmm…"
My body relaxed, and I leaned into the touch, shamelessly rubbing against her like a cat. She was so careful, and gentle, and sweet, like I might fall apart beneath her fingertips, and I liked the comfort it brought me. Normally, I liked being the strong one, since I could better protect her, but at the moment, I loved her gentle concern. I smiled secretly, heart burning with want. We had discussed it before and agreed it best to wait to have children until married, but…
My Sammy-chan will make a wonderful mother.
"Want something to eat?" Sammy suddenly suggested, with her face turned to the tall ceilings, lost in thought. My lover glanced down at me and, sounding hopeful, asked, "Does chicken noodle soup sound good?"
"…My stomach hurts," I mumbled, flopping over on my side and pulling her close enough that I could burrow into the shirt covering her soft belly. I nosed into it, sniffing at the familiar scent of laundry detergent, perfume, and Sammy. She always smells like strawberries.
Sammy worriedly reached for the tall glass of blue liquid resting atop my nightstand. She lifted it to my mouth and gently urged, "At least drink some more of the Gatorade. Doctor Hayashi said that drinking liquids would help hydrate you and flush the bug out."
Obediently, I sipped at the cool drink and let it wash down my sore and dry throat. It did help to relieve the itchiness caused by the coughing, I noted with relief, though drinking too much of it upset my uneasy stomach. Seeing my nose and face scrunch, Sammy pulled the drink back to place it in its original spot, where it continued to sweat. My own aching body had started to sweat again, burning with fever, but I shivered periodically, too cold to move.
"Sorry about making you sick, Takashi-kun," My fiancé quietly apologized to me, arms curled around her chest, legs folded beside her. She sounded sad, and I pulled back, opening my eyes enough to glare faintly at her.
"Quit blaming yourself, Sammy-chan. You said not to kiss you as you were not feeling well, and I did it regardless of that fact," I gruffly mumbled into her stomach, face buried in her lap, and not in the fun way. My hands reached out to curl around her back, hugging her to me.
"Bossy butt," Sammy mumbled, clearly ignoring the fact that her stubbornness could often beat my own. We had both been born in May, with Sammy being born almost one year after myself. Our shared Zodiac Sign of Taurus meant that butting heads happened regularly.
"How is this for bossy? Get down here and cuddle with me," I demanded, the gruffness of the command lost beneath the needy whine to the words, brought forth by being ill. I sniffled pathetically and stared at her with the Puppy Eyes.
My Koi laughed softly and crawled down the bed, pulling Balto up and placing him at the bottom of the bed, where the extra quilts had been placed by my mother. The Husky yawned widely, his little baby fangs glinting in the light coming in from beneath the closed door, and turned in place several times before settling in. His Mistress pressed her lips to his head, babying him, and then slipped beneath the covers. Sammy scooted closer, her side in the bed and her face, breasts, and belly pressed against my side. She nudged at my arm, and I lifted it high enough for the smaller teenager to slide beneath it, letting her snuggle in before curling it back around her shoulders.
I smiled.
Slipping into English, Sammy blinked at my smile and curiously asked, "What are you thinking about, Takashi?"
"You," I responded, happy enough to have something difficult to occupy my mind. Speaking in English would keep me awake for longer than simply speaking in Japanese.
Blue eyes, warm and filled with laughter, rolled to the skies. My fiancée lifted her face to make certain that I could observe the sarcastic tilt of her lips and lift of her eyebrows. "Very funny, Takashi," Sammy drawled with a snort.
"You," I firmly repeated while reaching down to take hold of her chin. I cupped it in my palm, thumb braced against her cheek, and said, "All day, Sammy, I have been thinking about you. How I want to touch you, marry you, and have children with you. I always think of you…"
My Koi inhaled sharply, startled tears coming to her eyes, and ducked her head to bury her face in my neck. She cleared her throat and whispered, "You always know what to say. You always make me smile and laugh and…I could not live without you. I will not live without you. You, Takashi, are mine – in sickness and in health."
Smiling warmly down at Sammy, I kissed the top of her head, lips pressed to her soft hair and then her forehead. I let them linger there, burning an invisible mark into her skin, and softly murmured, "We are getting graduating in five months, and getting married in six. Are you scared...?"
"No," Sammy promised, her voice soft but firm in its seriousness. She placed her hands in mine, interlocking her fingers with my own, and stared straight into my gray eyes. "I used to be scared – scared that I would always be alone, that I would not have friends, and then that I would lose you and the others, the Hosts. Now, though…"
"You have me," I quietly said in understanding, the words hitting their mark and burying themselves, like arrows, in the heart.
"I have you," My fiancée agreed with lips curling, face softening, and heart beating in time to my own.
Fingertips touched the wolf pendant hanging from my neck.
Strength, Wisdom, and Courage.
Protection.
Love.
***Author's Note***
Thank you so much for the continued support, and for trying to help reach that goal of 1,000 Reviews! We're getting there! :)
So! The Countdown Begins! We have Four Chapters Left of Picking Up the Pieces, along with Two Or Three Chapters Left of Key To My Heart. Yikes! Where have the last five years gone? (Oh, right - College! XD)
Anyway! Shameless fluff in this chapter! Who loves sick Sammy and Takashi? I do! XD Also, I plan to have Takashi "tell" the next two chapters, which involve the school festival (last part of the anime) and - dun, dun, dun - their wedding! Anything special that I should include in that chapter?
Question: Where do you think the wedding is going to take place? I hinted at it several chapters ago! ;)
It would be awesome to reach 1,000 reviews by the end of Picking Up the Pieces, so...
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
Update = ~ 895 Reviews
:)