Questions: Is there an explanation – ANY explanation – to what's happened?
Disclaimer: How often will I have to repeat myself? *sigh* Neither ‚Mayonaka no Tantei', a.k.a. ‚Nightwalker', nor Cain or Shidou are mine. They're in possession of themselves, each other and their respective associates.
Notes: But DO I wish it were different! (If only for continuing the series and explaining that ‚Golden Dawn'-business Cain keeps rambling about. :-P) And let's face it: who wouldn't like to have some good-looking bishies to do with as one pleases...? Anyway, this is it. For now, anyway. (*ducks* I can see several plot-bunnies lurking around already. ^^;;)
Dedication: To all those who reviewed.
For Once, Then, Somethingby Hotaru Muraki
Epilogue
It is often that you are woken from sleep by someone leaving your side. Strangely enough, this was not what had roused me today. But... Then what had?
As I sat up, I simultaneously noticed several things. The shades were still drawn, closed so as to not allow any rays of the sun to reach me. There was someone coming up the staircase to my offices, someone chirpy, chipper and loud, to be precise. And, wonder of wonders, I was fully clothed. I blinked at that discovery. Last night...Cain...and... Blushing at some particularly...graphic images didn't really help here, either. Hadn't I...? I distinctly remember falling asleep in my...sire's arms. But if that was true then... This lead my mind to the most important observation I must subconsciously have refused to make. There was no Cain in my office! Not even a tiny sign! No smirking, egotistical person hidden in the shadows. None. Nada. Nothing.
Now I was really confused. Confused, yes, but not surprised. Not really. He simply was like that. There today and gone tomorrow. ............Yeah, I wish! Chuckling wearily to myself, I stood up, heading for my desk and the comfortable chair behind it. This was what I was needing right now. That is, apart from—No, I would NOT contemplate that!
Once I was sitting in said seating accommodation, I was for once actually grateful for the fast healing capacities my vampiric powers entailed. Otherwise, sitting in or on anything would have been very, very uncomfortable for the time being. I decided not to go looking who or what was trampling upwards on the stairs. Yes, I was feeling too lazy for that. '– or too...satiated maybe...?' a traitorous, tiny voice whispered, rising from my subconscious. Quelling it and stuffing it back where it had risen from, I argued that if this really were trouble, I would not have to look for it. Trouble always seemed to be looking for me, instead. And I was more than fit to deal with it.
Anyway, I felt a bit... disappointed that Cain had left. Especially after a night like the last one. So... Why did he leave again? Leave...me? I refuse to believe that he had simply given up. Not his style. Not if Cain knew what was good for him.
Blink. Blink. Now where had that come from? Masaka... Don't tell me I was giving in, starting to get used to---
WHAM!
With a disruptively loud bang, the door to my office flew open. I had my blood-sword out and ready before I knew it – only to face a rather shocked Rihou in the doorway, a smug Guni nestled in her hair and a rather amused Yayoi standing behind them.
"You know, trying to surprise someone by kicking down his door could get you severely injured. It's not a very healthy thing to do in the long run." Sighing, I dismissed the sword again, leaning back into the comfort of...my office chair. Blink. What had I expected?
"Speaking of healthy..." Yayoi purred as she walked around her two companions. "...how have you been this looooong, lonely weekend... Shidou?" And with that, Yayoi sat on my desk, leant over and gave me a Look, purely by accident also giving me an eye-full.
"Maa, maa... It has been somewhat...quiet without you," I said, looking her deeply in the eyes. "Yayoi, you know it's...lonely and so... boringly calm when you are not here." I was fighting down a blush that I knew only wanted to confirm the lie I had just uttered. Calm...lonely...boring... Hah! As if!
"Yayoi-san!" Rihou admonished, all indignant and a-fluster with Yayoi's flirting with me. Shouldn't she be used to that by now? But then again, she still was very much the child she had once been. Part of her charm, I guess. "That is not the proper way for a home-coming to be!"
"Oh?" Black eyebrow raised in a perfect arc of amused tolerance. "...then tell me, Rihou-chan... What is? What is your idea of a home-coming? Hm...?"
If she had been a cat, Rihou's hair would have bristled at Yayoi's comment. As it was, the girl just huffed, glaring at the older woman, trying to gather her rather ruffled dignity while also trying not to look at me. Quite unsuccessfully so, I might add. Then, when she had smoothed her dress to her satisfaction, Rihou came to stand in front of my desk.
"Shidou-san... Tadaima..."
Her shy greeting, accompanied by a light blush staining her cheeks, made me smile. Rihou was endearingly cute, in her own special way.
"....Okaerinasai, minna."
"And that's it?" A cheeky voice piped up. The owner of that voice spread her wings and flew over to rest on my top-hat. "What's all that talk about 'home-coming' and 'proper way' then?"
"Guni..." I valiantly tried to suppress a long-suffering sigh, but succeeded only partially. Not that it would deter the little urban-fairy from anything. "...I'm glad you guys are home, too," I said, smiling, mussing up her hair a little.
With an undignified little squeak, Guni took flight again, deciding to perch once more on top of Rihou's conveniently braided hair. I decided to ignore her mutterings of 'Shidou no baka', '...next time, I'll...' and frequent '...what if...'s. That was just Guni's very own manner of declaring her satisfaction at being home again.
"Anyway," I turned towards the other two women currently sitting in my office. "How was your weekend?"
About half an hour later, I had received a very detailed account of their weekend, starting with their leaving at the airport ("The flight attendant was really good-looking..." – "My, my... Yayoi, do you want to make me jealous?" – "Shidou, would I ever do such a thing...?") and ended with their return to my office ("It wasn't my idea to break down your door, Shidou-san. Honestly!" – "Rihou, I'm sure you had only the best intentions." – "Ha, as if anyone would believe that crap!" – "Wah... Guni hidooooiii...!"). In between the antics of a red-eyed, green-skinned urban fairy and a forever-15-year-old girl, Yayoi told me about their vacation. Apparently, her relative owned the resort the three of them had been staying in. It was small, but well maintained, beautifully situated and, upon request, very private. The last was said with a suggestive wink in my direction, backed up with the proposition-cum-invitation that I should really, really join them the next time. And return to that place was something the three females definitely planned to do.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
Somewhere else, lips were drawn back to show the smooth white of teeth, canines only adding to the effect of the smirking whole.
"A hot springs resort, hm......" A hypnotizingly sultry, deep voice purred. "...would you like that, my Shidou?" Indulgent chuckling. "....would you like to find out...?"
The voice was just oozing amusement, a sort of contented anticipation.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
"Shidou...?"
"Shidou-san...?"
"...Oi, Shidou!"
Three pairs of eyes made me snap back from whatever trance I had been in. Damn!
"...Yes?" Best play it innocent. They need not know. It would only aggravate them, spoil their holiday spirit, right? Right.
"So you really, actually will..." Yayoi blinked in astonishment.
I have a baaad feeling about this.
"....go with us the next time we go there?" Rihou finished the sentence, for once in accord with Yayoi. If I had not been so busy trying to wish for a hole to swallow me up in order to escape this situation, I even might have found the incident amusing. Alas, no such luck!
"........Ano... Maybe I---"
"Shidou," Guni interrupted my attempt at strategic retreat.
"Yes?" For once I was actually glad for her habit of butting in on conversations.
"...care you tell me...," the little green fairy asked, perching precariously on the lamp standing on my desk. "....Why are there shirt-buttons in your lamp-shade?"
Groaning, I buried my head in my hands. I am so doomed...
O W A R I
+Omake+
A well-manicured, strong hand browsed through a guide detailing Japan's most famous resorts. It slowed down when the section with hot springs, their specialities and accommodations came up. After turning over a page to reveal the description of the 'Midori Rakuen' hot-springs resort, the hand stopped. The reader of the guide must have found the details really intriguing for his predatory gaze narrowed in contemplation.
"......'Green Paradise', hmm........"
Twin pools of golden amber lit up in what could only be described as speculative consideration.
Reply to reviews:
I said it before, but I'll repeat it: Your support, your reviews and your kind, encouraging words made me actually finish this fic. *hands around Nightwalker-shaped cookies* Thanks, minna!
- Darkmaster2: Thanks for the comment. I must have done something right at least, ne? ~__^
- SoulSister: I don't mind, I honestly don't mind! Be as hyper as you want when reviewing my fanfics. *throws NW-plushies*
- silverwyvern: Well… I hope I'm not disappointing you with this one. (Seeing as it's the epilogue of this story. __;;)