Sealed With a Kiss - Chapter 3
Just a note... Don't have conniptions about this chapter. Fuu and Ferio *belong* together and I'll make sure it stays that way. ^_^ So don't yell at me about from the library scene on, all right? ^^; I know what I'm doing.
All characters are © CLAMP; "SWAK" is © 2001 suzanami. ^.^ No duh.
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Fuu solomnly led Ferio into the living room. Hikaru smiled and stood. "Oh, Fuu-chan, he's gorgeous!" she gushed.
Ferio felt himself blush as Fuu managed a weak laugh and wrapped her arms around his bicep. "Isn't he, though? He's the best," she smiled, snuggling her head onto his shoulder.
Ferio tried to calm the blush on his cheeks as he coughed, bowing his head. "Umi... I have to, um..."
Umi frowned. "Ferio, what's wrong?" Her gaze shifted to Fuu. "Fuu?"
"Ferio has to go away for a few months," Fuu uttered softly, leaning against him.
Umi blinked in surprise. She turned back to Ferio. "But you haven't even been here a month!" she protested. "You can't leave already..." She paused. "Where are you going?"
"My uncle died and my aunt needs help for a month or two," Ferio sighed, looking at Umi apologetically.
"What... What about Fuu?" Umi insisted. "Are you going to just leave her alone for two months? How do you think that'll make her feel?!"
Ferio winced at her words.
"Umi-san," Fuu said softly. "I know he doesn't want to leave. But I admire him for being able to leave us, to leave me to help someone." She looked up at him lovingly. "That's why I love him. He's so selfless..." He returned her gaze, his eyes sad. Fuu blinked, remembering Hikaru and Umi. She quickly turned back to them, blushing.
"Fuu-chan," Hikaru spoke up. "When is Ferio leaving?"
"Tomorrow," Fuu whispered, leaning on his arm and looking at the floor. She brought her gaze back to his. "Can we... go for a walk?" She turned to her friends. "Just the two of us," she added softly.
"Of course," Hikaru said.
"I'm so sorry to be so unhospitable," Fuu apologized.
"It's all right," Hikaru smiled. "I understand. Go on, now." Umi nodded.
"Thank you," Fuu murmured as Ferio took her hand and they walked out the door together.
"I'm sorr--"
"I *told* you," Fuu interrupted him. "You have no reason to apologize to me, or to anyone else. I'm proud of you for offering to help your aunt." She stopped walking in front of the elevator and touched her nose to his. "I love you and we'll always be together."
The doors opened and Fuu and Ferio pulled their faces apart slightly. A little old lady was looking at them. She looked for a moment more, then went about her business, mumbling something about young people having no shame.
Fuu blushed and went to pull out of his arms, but he whispered in her ear, "Sh, don't feel embarrassed. It's just some bitter old lady." He kissed her jaw, right under her ear. "Let's go for that walk now, hm?"
Fuu smiled and nodded, taking his hand and twining their fingers together as they got on the elevator.
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The next day came all too soon. It was a cold and rainy afternoon but Fuu was feeling too down to even put on a raincoat.
"Fuu, you're gonna get sick," Ferio murmured, running his fingers through her wet hair.
"I don't care."
"*I* do." He took his jacket off and put it on her shoulders. He took her face in his hands. "Be a good girl, hm?" She nodded.
The couple was standing in Ferio's driveway while Hikaru and Umi waited in the car on the street. Fuu rubbed at her eyes, thinking that maybe she shouldn't have worn contacts this time. Her eyes were bloodshot from not being able to sleep all night.
Ferio kissed her eyelids gently. "I love you, Fuu."
She nuzzled her face to his. "And I love *you,* Ferio," she whispered over the rain pattering and forming puddles all around them. "Nothing can come between us, nothing."
"Kiss goodbye?" She let a lonely tear fall down her cheek as Ferio pressed his lips to hers tenderly, crushing her to him like he could never let go.
In the car, Umi couldn't help but watch. "Oh, Hikaru... I feel so sorry for them. I can tell that they love each other so much." She sighed, running her fingers over the steering wheel. "It's going to be so hard for them to be apart. It's hard enough for *me* to see Ferio go."
Hikaru nodded. "Poor Fuu-chan..."
After what wasn't anywhere near long enough, Fuu broke the warm kiss, her tear hidden by the raindrops falling down her face. She reached up, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "I'll miss you."
He took her hand, pressing the back of it to his cheek. "And I'll miss you even more," he replied, looking into her eyes longingly. He rubbed her back and whispered, "I'll write every night. Expect my first letter on Wednesday."
"I don't know if I can wait two days," Fuu sighed, blushing as he kissed her fingers and dropped her hand. "But I'll try."
Ferio ran his hand over her hair. "That's my girl. Keep my jacket. Don't wash it, it'll wash away my scent." Fuu nodded. "And make sure to get plenty of sleep. You obviously didn't get much last night." She nodded again. He tilted her chin up. "And keep Umi out of trouble, 'kay?"
She giggled.
"*There's* that cute smile I love to see," Ferio said, smiling himself. He laughed and swept her into his arms.
"Ferio!"
He kissed her nose. "Come on, let's get you back to your friends." He carried her down to the car slowly.
Fuu snuggled into his chest, breathing in his scent, mixed with the sweet aroma of the rain. "Ferio," she whispered. "You're my best friend in the whole world..."
"I know, Fuu-chan," he replied as they reached the car. Umi reached over the empty passenger's seat and opened the door as Ferio set Fuu in the seat. He bent down and tucked her clinging hair out of her face. "Love you."
Fuu bit her lip and nodded. She knew if she said anything she might start to cry, so all she could do was give his hand one more squeeze as he reluctantly stood and backed away, shutting the door.
Ferio looked at her as Umi started the car, his heart breaking as she looked pitifully up at him through the raindrops drenching the window. "I love you," he mouthed once more as she turned away, unable to look at him any longer. He saw her say something, to which Umi nodded, and the car began to pull away. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the beige vehicle as it pulled away and finally dissapeared around the corner.
He sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair. "Well, I'd better get going before I'm late..." But he didn't move for ten minutes, just kept staring at the corner.
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Fuu set her bag down at the door, kicking off her shoes and slumping over to the armchair. She had had a long day at classes and was emotionally exhausted. She reached over to the couch, where she had been sleeping, and grabbed Ferio's jacket, pressing her face into it. Yes, it still smelled just like he had three days ago. Three long days ago.
There had been no letter yet. It was Thursday and she had only gotten a letter telling her she "may have won twelve thousand dollars" and to "not discard this letter!" It was now sitting in the garbage under the sink.
She sat there, for how long she had no clue, but before she knew it, she was being awoken by Hikaru's voice calling, "Fuu-chan! Mail!"
Fuu was wide awake in an instant and hurried to the kitchen. Hikaru was muching on a Twizzler and sifting through a pile of envelopes in the kitchen. She looked up as Fuu came in, smiling gently. "Ferio's letter came."
Fuu beamed, taking the offered envelope and hurrying back to the armchair, snuggling the jacket to her like a stuffed animal. She looked at the letter, smiling. There was her name. Above the return address, he had written "Ferio-kun." She giggled and turned it over where he had doodled a heart and written "sealed with a kiss." She smiled at the elementary valentine and opened it quickly.
Fuu-chan:
Got here safely, thinking of you the whole way,
of course. I would've written last night, but it
was after one in the morning and I have to get up
early...
Anne (my aunt) is depressed but other than that
okay. We've had nothing but sun so far. Is it still
raining at home? Hope not. You wouldn't believe how
gorgeous it is down here! There's huge fields,
mountains, and hills that you can see the sunset
from. God, you should see the sunsets, they're almost
as beautiful as you. I'm going to watch them every
evening, like my little time to think of you. Heh,
pretty corny, huh?
When I'm not working, I just go for a ride. Of course,
today was my first time riding, and let me tell you,
I. Am. Sore. Anne said that I'll get used to it
after a couple days. Ugh. But it's fun.
You've got to come down here really soon to visit me.
It's only been two days and I miss you like crazy! I
need to hold you in my arms again and look into your
eyes, illuminated by that sunset. Damn, Fuu, if I
don't feel your arms around me soon, I'm going to
lose it! So ya gotta promise to come visit poor old
Ferio! (as long as it doesn't interfere with school
and your job, of course!)
I want to make this longer, but it's almost eleven.
Miss you like nuts and can't wait to kiss ya again!
All my love,
Ferio
Fuu smiled, blinking back tears. He missed her, too. She snuggled into the jacket again. 'I didn't give him anything to remember me by,' she suddenly realized. 'I'll have to send him something of mine.'
"Fuu, Hikaru said Ferio's first letter came!" she heard Umi exclaim. She turned just in time to see Umi come crashing onto the couch. "What did he say?" she asked eagerly. A teasing grin formed on her lips. "Or can't you say?" She gave Fuu an exaggerated wink.
Fuu rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, Umi-san. He told me about what it's like down there, about his sore rump from riding the horses and how much he misses me." She blushed at the last comment, tousling her hair.
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Fuu sighed, walking down the aisle of books, letting her fingers trail over their spines. She had come to the library to do a couple things. She had a report due for psychology and needed to do a little more research.
And to get her mind off of Ferio. She missed him so much and he had only been gone a week. He had kept his word and was writing to her every day, each letter with that cute little heart and the "SWAK" written on it. She smiled to herself, thinking how it was a little juvenile but still very sweet.
Her eyes rested on a book that looked interesting and she reached for it. As she did so, someone pulled at it from the other side. She blinked, instinctively jerking it back a little before surrendering it to the other person. "I'm sorry," she said.
She was at the end of the aisle and a face peeked around the corner. "Oh, did you want that book, miss?"
Fuu felt her breath catch. The man was tall with short, messy black hair and bushy eyebrows which, actually, looked pretty good on him. He had a white headband around his forehead and was wearing a denim jacket. His eyes were a deep, chocolate brown and Fuu had to remind herself of Ferio's eyes before she got lost in this man's.
"Oh, no, it's quite all right, I was just browsing," Fuu mumbled, blushing. "*I'm* sorry, mister..."
"Geo," he supplied. "Geo Metro." He raised a curious eyebrow. "And what might your name be, miss?"
"My?... Oh, Hououji Fuu," she sputtered, mentally slapping herself. 'You're in love with Ferio!' she chided. 'What's *wrong* with you, Fuu? Get it together!'
Geo smiled. "That's a cute name," he smirked, and Fuu cursed the day her hormones had ever kicked in. "Um, are you okay?"
Fuu realized that she was just standing there like an idiot. "Wha?.. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just in a bit of a daze..."
"Ah..." Geo nodded, like he understood totally.
The conversation went on like that for about ten minutes before Geo's stomach growled and he asked if she wanted to go grab a bite to eat. She hesitated, then said yes, as long as she could pay for herself, to which he just laughed and said, "C'mon, then."
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Fuu watched Geo eat, wide-eyed. She had never seen anyone eat so much ice cream. When he finished, he wiped off his chin with a napkin and Fuu noticed a scar on it, a familiar, x-shaped scar... like Ferio's.
"You eat so much," she commented, then raised a hand to her mouth, embarrassed at being so forward.
Geo laughed. "Just stuff with sugar," he corrected. "I've got a sweet tooth. My kid brother is always trying to take my candy out of my room."
Fuu laughed and Geo felt warm all over as she did. She was a very cute girl and so fun to be around. Her eyes held some sadness that he couldn't read, and he wanted to make that sadness go away so badly. Oh, Zazu would never let him hear the end of it if he heard that Big Brother had puppy love. "Would you like to go for a walk or something?" he suggested, wanting to spend more time with her.
Fuu thought before answering. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea... She was very in love with Ferio, but she *did* need to get her mind off him for a little while. She raised an eyebrow. "All right, it might be fun."
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"Well, *you* spent enough time at the library," Umi commented as Fuu walked into the living room.
"Oh, I went for a walk," Fuu explained, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It's such a nice day, I wanted to be out in it, not in the stuffy library." Umi shrugged and went back to her soap opera. "Don't you have work, Umi-san?"
"They decided to let us have Sundays off," Umi said, her eyes not wandering from the screen.
Fuu shrugged and went into her room. She saw Hikaru dozing on her bed and smiled, sitting next to her and brushing hair out of her serene face. 'These past two years have been so hard on her,' Fuu thought. 'I never thought anything like this would happen to her family, to her...' She frowned. 'I just wish she had come to me sooner.'
She sighed and stood, rubbing the back of her neck. She wandered aimlessly into the kitchen and sat up on the counter, swinging her feet back and forth. She wanted to go see Ferio so badly, for a few reasons. For one thing, she missed him terribly. Another thing, he missed *her* terribly. And... Maybe if she could hold Ferio again, she could forget about the feelings she had bubbling up... for Geo.
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A couple days later, Fuu was sitting on the couch with Ferio's jacket in her lap, reading. Whenever she was relaxing at home, Ferio's jacket was in her arms, being huggled lovingly.
The phone rang and Fuu jumped up to get it since no one else was home. Ferio had said that he was going to try and get to a phone some time this week during the afternoon. She slid into the kitchen, her stockinged feet skidding across the linoleum. She caught herself on the table and grabbed the phone. "Hello?!"
"Hey."
Fuu's face fell. It wasn't Ferio. "Um, hello?"
"It's Geo. Is this Fuu?"
Fuu blinked. "Oh! Yes, it's me. I'm sorry, Geo-san, I was expecting someone else."
"Oh."
Fuu regained her composure, picking up the fork she had knocked to the floor when she had run into the table. "Did you want to just talk?"
"Actually," Geo said. "I was wondering if you wanted to come over. Hang out, y'know?"
Fuu frowned. What if Ferio called? She didn't want to miss him, but she was bored. "One moment please, I'll be right back," she said.
"Sure."
Fuu set the phone down and paced back and forth, thinking. 'I would really like to spend some time with Geo-san, but if I miss Ferio's call I'll just die,' she thought. She finally decided to go. She grabbed Hikaru's notebook off the table and scribbled a quick note for Umi or Hikaru to page her if Ferio called. She picked the phone back up and said, "All right, I'll see you in ten minutes."
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Fuu knocked on the door, hoping that she had gotten the right house.
A short boy with dark hair and brown eyes opened the door. He looked up at her. "Yeah?"
Fuu smiled at the boy. "Is Geo-san home?"
He leaned against the doorframe. "Who wants to know?"
Geo came to the door then, putting his hand on the boy's hair and ruffling it. "Zazu, you idiot, let her in," he said affectionately. He smiled at Fuu. "Nice to see ya."
"Ohhh, I know that tone of voice!" Zazu piped up. He pulled away from Geo and began dancing around the living room. "Geo's in love! Ha ha ha!"
Geo threw the sandwich he was holding at his brother. "Shut up!" He turned to Fuu. "Ignore him. He's seventeen and almost out of highschool. He thinks he's hot stuff. C'mon in."
Fuu nodded and stepped in. She looked around and sweatdropped. A typical bachelor's house. There was food sitting on the coffee table and she could see dirty dishes in the kitchen. "Oh, for God's sake, Geo-san," she huffed. "This place is a pigsty." She began picking up the plates off the coffee table.
"Fuu, what are you doing?" Geo said.
Zazu cocked his head, watching her. "What're ya doing, miss?"
"I'm cleaning, of course."
"Well I knew *that,*" Zazu pouted.
Fuu busied herself with cleaning up all the food laying around and she put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. "Don't you two even know what this thing is for?" she muttered as she turned it on. "Don't answer that." She went to open a cupboard, but Geo stopped her.
"Er, Fuu, you might not wanna open that."
She looked at him, puzzled. "And why would that be?..."
"You'll probably get showered in a waterfall of candy," he mumbled, raising an eyebrow.
Fuu blinked at him and stepped away from the cupboard. "All right, we've got the kitchen," she said, glancing at Zazu, who was glaring at the mop she had made him use. "Now the bedrooms."
'This is going to be scary,' she thought, wincing. She opened the door to Zazu's room. "What the..."
Zazu came up behind her. "I'm a mechanic. *That* is why I sleep on the couch," he said, referring to the half-assembled motor on his bed.
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Fuu found herself looking forward to two things every day: getting Ferio's letter and hanging out with Geo. Ferio's letter's always made her feel so close to him, and writing back made her feel even closer. It wasn't like he could hold her again, but at least they could talk and tell each other that they loved and missed each other.
And Geo... Fuu was by no means in love with Geo, but he was somewhat like a close friend that she had an affection for. Well, it wasn't like she and Ferio were married, and she still had hormones that made Geo catch her attention the way he did.
It was like a sweet little world, having a guy friend to talk to if it couldn't be Ferio. But one day that world was shattered.
Fuu was at Geo's, watching television and talking. His brother, who was eighteen, was out for the afternoon and Fuu was having fun talking with her friend until she noticed that his face had become solomn. "Geo-san, what's wrong?"
Geo rubbed his temples, sighing. "Fuu, this has really been bothering me and I just have to say something."
Fuu frowned, worried.
"Fuu, I..." Geo looked up at her, into her emerald eyes. "Fuu, I love you."
Fuu felt her heart stop. 'He means as a friend,' she tried to tell herself. She forced a smile. "I love you too, Geo-san, you're one of my good friends."
Now he frowned. "Fuu... I'm *in* love with you."
Fuu felt like her face was on fire. How awkward, to have one of your friends tell you he was in love with you! Fuu wasn't sure what to say, she just twiddled her fingers and looked at the floor.
Geo reached over and took one of her hands, causing her head to snap up to meet his eyes. "Fuu, I'm sorry if me telling you this makes you uncomfortable, but I couldn't hold it in any longer." He shook his head. "I know you don't have any feelings for me--"
"I *do* have an affection for you," Fuu corrected. "But I don't love you like that. I..." She hadn't told him about Ferio. The subject had never really come up. "Geo-san, I'm in love with someone else, I have been for a while."
Geo's eyes widened then became sad. "I see... Why didn't you tell me before, so I wouldn't have fallen for you?"
Fuu pulled her hand away and stood, blinking back salty tears. "I don't know," she whispered, not knowing what else to say. "Maybe I should leave," she said as she headed for the door.
Geo caught her arm before she could turn the doorknob. "Wait... Fuu..." She turned away, unable to look at him. "Fuu..." He couldn't stop himself. He had to do this, no matter how uncomfortable it made them feel. He reached over and took her chin in his hand, leaning down and kissing her.
Fuu knew she should pull away, but it felt so nice... She found herself kissing him back before she realized herself. She jerked away, frustrated tears now falling down her pretty face. A sob shook her and she drew her arm back and slapped him. Hard. Sobbing with anger and confusion, she tore out of the house and ran home.
Geo stood by the door, not moving from the spot. He put a hand to his face, frowning. "I deserved that," he murmured. "Jerk," he cursed himself, shutting the door and going to his room to mope.
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YES, *Geo!* Peach Goddess and I went through almost every Rayearth guy, and Geo's the best for this. Besides, that way we get to put Zazu-chan in it! *^o^*
Uh, sorry if Geo might be a little out of character, by the way... *But* it's my fic and I can do that. ^_^ ...Hardly any Ferio this chapter! ;_; How depressing!
Anyways, don't worry, at the rate I'm going the next chapter should be out soon. ^_^
Just a note... Don't have conniptions about this chapter. Fuu and Ferio *belong* together and I'll make sure it stays that way. ^_^ So don't yell at me about from the library scene on, all right? ^^; I know what I'm doing.
All characters are © CLAMP; "SWAK" is © 2001 suzanami. ^.^ No duh.
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Fuu solomnly led Ferio into the living room. Hikaru smiled and stood. "Oh, Fuu-chan, he's gorgeous!" she gushed.
Ferio felt himself blush as Fuu managed a weak laugh and wrapped her arms around his bicep. "Isn't he, though? He's the best," she smiled, snuggling her head onto his shoulder.
Ferio tried to calm the blush on his cheeks as he coughed, bowing his head. "Umi... I have to, um..."
Umi frowned. "Ferio, what's wrong?" Her gaze shifted to Fuu. "Fuu?"
"Ferio has to go away for a few months," Fuu uttered softly, leaning against him.
Umi blinked in surprise. She turned back to Ferio. "But you haven't even been here a month!" she protested. "You can't leave already..." She paused. "Where are you going?"
"My uncle died and my aunt needs help for a month or two," Ferio sighed, looking at Umi apologetically.
"What... What about Fuu?" Umi insisted. "Are you going to just leave her alone for two months? How do you think that'll make her feel?!"
Ferio winced at her words.
"Umi-san," Fuu said softly. "I know he doesn't want to leave. But I admire him for being able to leave us, to leave me to help someone." She looked up at him lovingly. "That's why I love him. He's so selfless..." He returned her gaze, his eyes sad. Fuu blinked, remembering Hikaru and Umi. She quickly turned back to them, blushing.
"Fuu-chan," Hikaru spoke up. "When is Ferio leaving?"
"Tomorrow," Fuu whispered, leaning on his arm and looking at the floor. She brought her gaze back to his. "Can we... go for a walk?" She turned to her friends. "Just the two of us," she added softly.
"Of course," Hikaru said.
"I'm so sorry to be so unhospitable," Fuu apologized.
"It's all right," Hikaru smiled. "I understand. Go on, now." Umi nodded.
"Thank you," Fuu murmured as Ferio took her hand and they walked out the door together.
"I'm sorr--"
"I *told* you," Fuu interrupted him. "You have no reason to apologize to me, or to anyone else. I'm proud of you for offering to help your aunt." She stopped walking in front of the elevator and touched her nose to his. "I love you and we'll always be together."
The doors opened and Fuu and Ferio pulled their faces apart slightly. A little old lady was looking at them. She looked for a moment more, then went about her business, mumbling something about young people having no shame.
Fuu blushed and went to pull out of his arms, but he whispered in her ear, "Sh, don't feel embarrassed. It's just some bitter old lady." He kissed her jaw, right under her ear. "Let's go for that walk now, hm?"
Fuu smiled and nodded, taking his hand and twining their fingers together as they got on the elevator.
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The next day came all too soon. It was a cold and rainy afternoon but Fuu was feeling too down to even put on a raincoat.
"Fuu, you're gonna get sick," Ferio murmured, running his fingers through her wet hair.
"I don't care."
"*I* do." He took his jacket off and put it on her shoulders. He took her face in his hands. "Be a good girl, hm?" She nodded.
The couple was standing in Ferio's driveway while Hikaru and Umi waited in the car on the street. Fuu rubbed at her eyes, thinking that maybe she shouldn't have worn contacts this time. Her eyes were bloodshot from not being able to sleep all night.
Ferio kissed her eyelids gently. "I love you, Fuu."
She nuzzled her face to his. "And I love *you,* Ferio," she whispered over the rain pattering and forming puddles all around them. "Nothing can come between us, nothing."
"Kiss goodbye?" She let a lonely tear fall down her cheek as Ferio pressed his lips to hers tenderly, crushing her to him like he could never let go.
In the car, Umi couldn't help but watch. "Oh, Hikaru... I feel so sorry for them. I can tell that they love each other so much." She sighed, running her fingers over the steering wheel. "It's going to be so hard for them to be apart. It's hard enough for *me* to see Ferio go."
Hikaru nodded. "Poor Fuu-chan..."
After what wasn't anywhere near long enough, Fuu broke the warm kiss, her tear hidden by the raindrops falling down her face. She reached up, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "I'll miss you."
He took her hand, pressing the back of it to his cheek. "And I'll miss you even more," he replied, looking into her eyes longingly. He rubbed her back and whispered, "I'll write every night. Expect my first letter on Wednesday."
"I don't know if I can wait two days," Fuu sighed, blushing as he kissed her fingers and dropped her hand. "But I'll try."
Ferio ran his hand over her hair. "That's my girl. Keep my jacket. Don't wash it, it'll wash away my scent." Fuu nodded. "And make sure to get plenty of sleep. You obviously didn't get much last night." She nodded again. He tilted her chin up. "And keep Umi out of trouble, 'kay?"
She giggled.
"*There's* that cute smile I love to see," Ferio said, smiling himself. He laughed and swept her into his arms.
"Ferio!"
He kissed her nose. "Come on, let's get you back to your friends." He carried her down to the car slowly.
Fuu snuggled into his chest, breathing in his scent, mixed with the sweet aroma of the rain. "Ferio," she whispered. "You're my best friend in the whole world..."
"I know, Fuu-chan," he replied as they reached the car. Umi reached over the empty passenger's seat and opened the door as Ferio set Fuu in the seat. He bent down and tucked her clinging hair out of her face. "Love you."
Fuu bit her lip and nodded. She knew if she said anything she might start to cry, so all she could do was give his hand one more squeeze as he reluctantly stood and backed away, shutting the door.
Ferio looked at her as Umi started the car, his heart breaking as she looked pitifully up at him through the raindrops drenching the window. "I love you," he mouthed once more as she turned away, unable to look at him any longer. He saw her say something, to which Umi nodded, and the car began to pull away. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the beige vehicle as it pulled away and finally dissapeared around the corner.
He sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair. "Well, I'd better get going before I'm late..." But he didn't move for ten minutes, just kept staring at the corner.
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Fuu set her bag down at the door, kicking off her shoes and slumping over to the armchair. She had had a long day at classes and was emotionally exhausted. She reached over to the couch, where she had been sleeping, and grabbed Ferio's jacket, pressing her face into it. Yes, it still smelled just like he had three days ago. Three long days ago.
There had been no letter yet. It was Thursday and she had only gotten a letter telling her she "may have won twelve thousand dollars" and to "not discard this letter!" It was now sitting in the garbage under the sink.
She sat there, for how long she had no clue, but before she knew it, she was being awoken by Hikaru's voice calling, "Fuu-chan! Mail!"
Fuu was wide awake in an instant and hurried to the kitchen. Hikaru was muching on a Twizzler and sifting through a pile of envelopes in the kitchen. She looked up as Fuu came in, smiling gently. "Ferio's letter came."
Fuu beamed, taking the offered envelope and hurrying back to the armchair, snuggling the jacket to her like a stuffed animal. She looked at the letter, smiling. There was her name. Above the return address, he had written "Ferio-kun." She giggled and turned it over where he had doodled a heart and written "sealed with a kiss." She smiled at the elementary valentine and opened it quickly.
Fuu-chan:
Got here safely, thinking of you the whole way,
of course. I would've written last night, but it
was after one in the morning and I have to get up
early...
Anne (my aunt) is depressed but other than that
okay. We've had nothing but sun so far. Is it still
raining at home? Hope not. You wouldn't believe how
gorgeous it is down here! There's huge fields,
mountains, and hills that you can see the sunset
from. God, you should see the sunsets, they're almost
as beautiful as you. I'm going to watch them every
evening, like my little time to think of you. Heh,
pretty corny, huh?
When I'm not working, I just go for a ride. Of course,
today was my first time riding, and let me tell you,
I. Am. Sore. Anne said that I'll get used to it
after a couple days. Ugh. But it's fun.
You've got to come down here really soon to visit me.
It's only been two days and I miss you like crazy! I
need to hold you in my arms again and look into your
eyes, illuminated by that sunset. Damn, Fuu, if I
don't feel your arms around me soon, I'm going to
lose it! So ya gotta promise to come visit poor old
Ferio! (as long as it doesn't interfere with school
and your job, of course!)
I want to make this longer, but it's almost eleven.
Miss you like nuts and can't wait to kiss ya again!
All my love,
Ferio
Fuu smiled, blinking back tears. He missed her, too. She snuggled into the jacket again. 'I didn't give him anything to remember me by,' she suddenly realized. 'I'll have to send him something of mine.'
"Fuu, Hikaru said Ferio's first letter came!" she heard Umi exclaim. She turned just in time to see Umi come crashing onto the couch. "What did he say?" she asked eagerly. A teasing grin formed on her lips. "Or can't you say?" She gave Fuu an exaggerated wink.
Fuu rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, Umi-san. He told me about what it's like down there, about his sore rump from riding the horses and how much he misses me." She blushed at the last comment, tousling her hair.
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Fuu sighed, walking down the aisle of books, letting her fingers trail over their spines. She had come to the library to do a couple things. She had a report due for psychology and needed to do a little more research.
And to get her mind off of Ferio. She missed him so much and he had only been gone a week. He had kept his word and was writing to her every day, each letter with that cute little heart and the "SWAK" written on it. She smiled to herself, thinking how it was a little juvenile but still very sweet.
Her eyes rested on a book that looked interesting and she reached for it. As she did so, someone pulled at it from the other side. She blinked, instinctively jerking it back a little before surrendering it to the other person. "I'm sorry," she said.
She was at the end of the aisle and a face peeked around the corner. "Oh, did you want that book, miss?"
Fuu felt her breath catch. The man was tall with short, messy black hair and bushy eyebrows which, actually, looked pretty good on him. He had a white headband around his forehead and was wearing a denim jacket. His eyes were a deep, chocolate brown and Fuu had to remind herself of Ferio's eyes before she got lost in this man's.
"Oh, no, it's quite all right, I was just browsing," Fuu mumbled, blushing. "*I'm* sorry, mister..."
"Geo," he supplied. "Geo Metro." He raised a curious eyebrow. "And what might your name be, miss?"
"My?... Oh, Hououji Fuu," she sputtered, mentally slapping herself. 'You're in love with Ferio!' she chided. 'What's *wrong* with you, Fuu? Get it together!'
Geo smiled. "That's a cute name," he smirked, and Fuu cursed the day her hormones had ever kicked in. "Um, are you okay?"
Fuu realized that she was just standing there like an idiot. "Wha?.. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just in a bit of a daze..."
"Ah..." Geo nodded, like he understood totally.
The conversation went on like that for about ten minutes before Geo's stomach growled and he asked if she wanted to go grab a bite to eat. She hesitated, then said yes, as long as she could pay for herself, to which he just laughed and said, "C'mon, then."
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Fuu watched Geo eat, wide-eyed. She had never seen anyone eat so much ice cream. When he finished, he wiped off his chin with a napkin and Fuu noticed a scar on it, a familiar, x-shaped scar... like Ferio's.
"You eat so much," she commented, then raised a hand to her mouth, embarrassed at being so forward.
Geo laughed. "Just stuff with sugar," he corrected. "I've got a sweet tooth. My kid brother is always trying to take my candy out of my room."
Fuu laughed and Geo felt warm all over as she did. She was a very cute girl and so fun to be around. Her eyes held some sadness that he couldn't read, and he wanted to make that sadness go away so badly. Oh, Zazu would never let him hear the end of it if he heard that Big Brother had puppy love. "Would you like to go for a walk or something?" he suggested, wanting to spend more time with her.
Fuu thought before answering. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea... She was very in love with Ferio, but she *did* need to get her mind off him for a little while. She raised an eyebrow. "All right, it might be fun."
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"Well, *you* spent enough time at the library," Umi commented as Fuu walked into the living room.
"Oh, I went for a walk," Fuu explained, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It's such a nice day, I wanted to be out in it, not in the stuffy library." Umi shrugged and went back to her soap opera. "Don't you have work, Umi-san?"
"They decided to let us have Sundays off," Umi said, her eyes not wandering from the screen.
Fuu shrugged and went into her room. She saw Hikaru dozing on her bed and smiled, sitting next to her and brushing hair out of her serene face. 'These past two years have been so hard on her,' Fuu thought. 'I never thought anything like this would happen to her family, to her...' She frowned. 'I just wish she had come to me sooner.'
She sighed and stood, rubbing the back of her neck. She wandered aimlessly into the kitchen and sat up on the counter, swinging her feet back and forth. She wanted to go see Ferio so badly, for a few reasons. For one thing, she missed him terribly. Another thing, he missed *her* terribly. And... Maybe if she could hold Ferio again, she could forget about the feelings she had bubbling up... for Geo.
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A couple days later, Fuu was sitting on the couch with Ferio's jacket in her lap, reading. Whenever she was relaxing at home, Ferio's jacket was in her arms, being huggled lovingly.
The phone rang and Fuu jumped up to get it since no one else was home. Ferio had said that he was going to try and get to a phone some time this week during the afternoon. She slid into the kitchen, her stockinged feet skidding across the linoleum. She caught herself on the table and grabbed the phone. "Hello?!"
"Hey."
Fuu's face fell. It wasn't Ferio. "Um, hello?"
"It's Geo. Is this Fuu?"
Fuu blinked. "Oh! Yes, it's me. I'm sorry, Geo-san, I was expecting someone else."
"Oh."
Fuu regained her composure, picking up the fork she had knocked to the floor when she had run into the table. "Did you want to just talk?"
"Actually," Geo said. "I was wondering if you wanted to come over. Hang out, y'know?"
Fuu frowned. What if Ferio called? She didn't want to miss him, but she was bored. "One moment please, I'll be right back," she said.
"Sure."
Fuu set the phone down and paced back and forth, thinking. 'I would really like to spend some time with Geo-san, but if I miss Ferio's call I'll just die,' she thought. She finally decided to go. She grabbed Hikaru's notebook off the table and scribbled a quick note for Umi or Hikaru to page her if Ferio called. She picked the phone back up and said, "All right, I'll see you in ten minutes."
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Fuu knocked on the door, hoping that she had gotten the right house.
A short boy with dark hair and brown eyes opened the door. He looked up at her. "Yeah?"
Fuu smiled at the boy. "Is Geo-san home?"
He leaned against the doorframe. "Who wants to know?"
Geo came to the door then, putting his hand on the boy's hair and ruffling it. "Zazu, you idiot, let her in," he said affectionately. He smiled at Fuu. "Nice to see ya."
"Ohhh, I know that tone of voice!" Zazu piped up. He pulled away from Geo and began dancing around the living room. "Geo's in love! Ha ha ha!"
Geo threw the sandwich he was holding at his brother. "Shut up!" He turned to Fuu. "Ignore him. He's seventeen and almost out of highschool. He thinks he's hot stuff. C'mon in."
Fuu nodded and stepped in. She looked around and sweatdropped. A typical bachelor's house. There was food sitting on the coffee table and she could see dirty dishes in the kitchen. "Oh, for God's sake, Geo-san," she huffed. "This place is a pigsty." She began picking up the plates off the coffee table.
"Fuu, what are you doing?" Geo said.
Zazu cocked his head, watching her. "What're ya doing, miss?"
"I'm cleaning, of course."
"Well I knew *that,*" Zazu pouted.
Fuu busied herself with cleaning up all the food laying around and she put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. "Don't you two even know what this thing is for?" she muttered as she turned it on. "Don't answer that." She went to open a cupboard, but Geo stopped her.
"Er, Fuu, you might not wanna open that."
She looked at him, puzzled. "And why would that be?..."
"You'll probably get showered in a waterfall of candy," he mumbled, raising an eyebrow.
Fuu blinked at him and stepped away from the cupboard. "All right, we've got the kitchen," she said, glancing at Zazu, who was glaring at the mop she had made him use. "Now the bedrooms."
'This is going to be scary,' she thought, wincing. She opened the door to Zazu's room. "What the..."
Zazu came up behind her. "I'm a mechanic. *That* is why I sleep on the couch," he said, referring to the half-assembled motor on his bed.
___________________________________________________
Fuu found herself looking forward to two things every day: getting Ferio's letter and hanging out with Geo. Ferio's letter's always made her feel so close to him, and writing back made her feel even closer. It wasn't like he could hold her again, but at least they could talk and tell each other that they loved and missed each other.
And Geo... Fuu was by no means in love with Geo, but he was somewhat like a close friend that she had an affection for. Well, it wasn't like she and Ferio were married, and she still had hormones that made Geo catch her attention the way he did.
It was like a sweet little world, having a guy friend to talk to if it couldn't be Ferio. But one day that world was shattered.
Fuu was at Geo's, watching television and talking. His brother, who was eighteen, was out for the afternoon and Fuu was having fun talking with her friend until she noticed that his face had become solomn. "Geo-san, what's wrong?"
Geo rubbed his temples, sighing. "Fuu, this has really been bothering me and I just have to say something."
Fuu frowned, worried.
"Fuu, I..." Geo looked up at her, into her emerald eyes. "Fuu, I love you."
Fuu felt her heart stop. 'He means as a friend,' she tried to tell herself. She forced a smile. "I love you too, Geo-san, you're one of my good friends."
Now he frowned. "Fuu... I'm *in* love with you."
Fuu felt like her face was on fire. How awkward, to have one of your friends tell you he was in love with you! Fuu wasn't sure what to say, she just twiddled her fingers and looked at the floor.
Geo reached over and took one of her hands, causing her head to snap up to meet his eyes. "Fuu, I'm sorry if me telling you this makes you uncomfortable, but I couldn't hold it in any longer." He shook his head. "I know you don't have any feelings for me--"
"I *do* have an affection for you," Fuu corrected. "But I don't love you like that. I..." She hadn't told him about Ferio. The subject had never really come up. "Geo-san, I'm in love with someone else, I have been for a while."
Geo's eyes widened then became sad. "I see... Why didn't you tell me before, so I wouldn't have fallen for you?"
Fuu pulled her hand away and stood, blinking back salty tears. "I don't know," she whispered, not knowing what else to say. "Maybe I should leave," she said as she headed for the door.
Geo caught her arm before she could turn the doorknob. "Wait... Fuu..." She turned away, unable to look at him. "Fuu..." He couldn't stop himself. He had to do this, no matter how uncomfortable it made them feel. He reached over and took her chin in his hand, leaning down and kissing her.
Fuu knew she should pull away, but it felt so nice... She found herself kissing him back before she realized herself. She jerked away, frustrated tears now falling down her pretty face. A sob shook her and she drew her arm back and slapped him. Hard. Sobbing with anger and confusion, she tore out of the house and ran home.
Geo stood by the door, not moving from the spot. He put a hand to his face, frowning. "I deserved that," he murmured. "Jerk," he cursed himself, shutting the door and going to his room to mope.
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YES, *Geo!* Peach Goddess and I went through almost every Rayearth guy, and Geo's the best for this. Besides, that way we get to put Zazu-chan in it! *^o^*
Uh, sorry if Geo might be a little out of character, by the way... *But* it's my fic and I can do that. ^_^ ...Hardly any Ferio this chapter! ;_; How depressing!
Anyways, don't worry, at the rate I'm going the next chapter should be out soon. ^_^