Anemia
(part four)
A Tenshi Ni Narumon Fanfic, by Cat Who
Standard disclaimers apply: Tenshi ni Narumon belongs to Studio
Pierrot and the Heaven Project, not me. I'm not making any money,
please don't sue me.
***
Sunday morning
***
And so the day of the end of Miruru's confinement dawned. She woke to the smells of Mama's cooking, and yawned, stretching deeply as only a cat can stretch.
The maid's quarters were actually quite nice. They were smaller than, say, Sara's room, of course, but in essence what she had was her own studio apartment, complete with even a small furo and plenty of room. And her bed was soft and warm.
Miruru remembered her home back in the Demon world. Black magic didn't come out nearly as colorful there. And Miruru had never really been good at magic, anyway. When she had been working for Dispell, it had been Silky's magic actually controlling the other demons, not hers.
It had occurred to Miruru that she was the only one of Silky's henchmen to make it out alive. It was probably because Dispell had been one of her illusions to begin with.
Papa. She had called him that, not out of any real relationship, but because she had desperately wanted a . . .
A family. She, like nearly all the demons in the Demon World, had been born of human fears, not of flesh and blood. Oh, some of the luckier demons managed to cobble together a family -- even Cerberus had a daughter -- but most of them had been alone, like Miruru. When Papa had pulled together the Family to raise Noelle, Miruru had been vagely jealous of the peace that they had experienced. Maybe that's why she had started chasing Gabriel to begin with. Maybe it was only because she had wanted a family . . . to be part of a group that loved, that shared joy and sorrow . . .
Well, that was what she had now, more or less. Papa and Mama liked her, and it was only a matter of time before Gabriel came around.
Miruru smiled a catty smile, brushing away the shadows of doubt that her reverie had laid on her mind.
That time, in fact, was going to begin today.
***
She was silent at breakfast, and she avoided looking at Gabriel, who seemed perfectly happy to avoid her as well. The Family seemed to be oblivious in general to their discomfort, except for Ruka, who was always more observant, and Baba, who was quite intent on making sure that Miruru was really okay before she let her resume her chores.
"You're in good color again," Ruka said, after breakfast, checking the readouts on her small machine, "and your blood pressure is normal. You're as good as new."
"That's great," Miruru said with a wide grin. "I'll just be popping out to get some groceries then. Mama can't cook with somen alone, you know?"
Miruru skipped out of the house, her tail flying and her basket swinging.
"She's up to something," Baba said quietly. Ruka nodded. Miruru was never that enthusiastic about grocery shopping.
***
"One more day before the test," Yuusuke said, flopping down in front of the study table in his room.
"Yuusuke, Yuusuke!" Noelle cried, grabbing his arm.
"Yes, Noelle?"
"Where is Natsumi-chan?"
"She'll be by later today. It's just you and me for now."
"Oh."
"Come on, Noelle, let's go over the notes that Gabriel gave us one more time . We better start studying . . ."
"Waaaaaai! I like studying, Yuusuke!"
"Noelle! This isn't stud--mmmf!"
***
Gabriel paced the living room, rehearsing just what he was going to say to Miruru when he got a moment alone with her. No matter what he tried to say, he found it impossible to completely articulate his thoughts.
"Miruru, I know that I've treated you coldly in the past, but I . . . no."
"Miruru, we've known each other a long time. This past week I missed you, and . . . no."
"Miruru, I'm sorry that I said we didn't have a real relationship. I . . . no, no, NO!"
He grabbed his head in frustration. He'd have to come out and say it right away. Leading up to it wasn't working at all.
"Miruru, I . . ."
***
Epimedium grandiflorum: check.
Candles: check.
Naughty nightshirt with matching spats: check.
Miruru snickered to herself as she tucked those purchases among the groceries. Gabriel wasn't going to know what had hit him.
She began the short walk back home.
***
Natsumi rang the doorbell. Yuusuke peered out of his window and shouted "Come in!" from the second floor, so Natsumi entered the house, and slipped her shoes off in the foyer. She'd known Noelle's family long enough that she knew that she wasn't imposing by any means.
Miriru came in through the back door, and entered the living room just at the same time as Natsumi. They appeared from opposite sides, and their eyes caught each other's just as Gabriel finally set free all his heart and emotion in his practice speech, with his eyes closed.
"I love you!"
And of course, of course, Gabriel was facing exactly the wrong person.
***
There are some moments that seem to be frozen, as if the fluidity of time has formed a crystal, encasing that instant in a perfect arrangement forever. Miruru could not move. Her heart stopped, her eyes burned with shame and fear. Gabriel had just told Natsumi that he loved her. Her.
Natsumi looked surprised. Gabriel opened his eyes and saw Natsumi standing there, eyes wide in total shock. Natsumi then glanced across the room to Miruru. Her glance unfroze the cat-girl.
Miruru dropped her groceries, and then ran sobbing out of the back door. Gabriel whirled around, horrified that two people had heard him, and one seemed to be the intended target . . .
"Oh shit," Gabriel said, realizing what had just happened. "Oh shit." He racked his hand through his wild hair, completely at a loss of what to do. He could only stare at the open door.
"Go after her," Natsumi said quietly. "Do it now, before she runs away forever."
Gabriel glanced back at her, naked pain on his face. He then looked toward the door again, toward the swiftly fleeing figure of Miruru, then back to Natsumi.
"Go!" Natsumi said, this time more sternly, and made a shooing motion with her hand.
Gabriel got control of himself and nodded to her, then ran after Miruru, his cape trailing behind him.
"I swear, Noelle has the strangest family," Natsumi said to herself, slightly irritated, and she went upstairs to Yuusuke and Noelle.
***
Yuusuke had fortunately extracted Noelle from his body before Natsumi came in, and they had gotten something remotely akin to studying done.
Natsumi said nothing about the incident downstairs, but instead settled herself down, and opened her notes.
***
Miruru ran, not caring where she ran to, but just letting herself go as she wept bitterly. No wonder Gabriel had rejected her advances so much before. He loved Natsumi. After all, before that time in the bushes, it had been Natsumi he was after, wasn't it? Had all her interpretations of the signs, all her fantasies been only her imagination? Had it all been a dream?
She ran for a long time, until she found herself in an unfamiliar neighborhood on the edge of the city. There was a small park there, with an abandoned cave. She ignored the sign marked "Danger!" and crawled inside, only wanting to be alone in her misery. She wanted to . . . she wanted to go back to the Demon World. She crawled up against a far wall, thankful for the darkness that would allow her to wallow in her misery unimpeded. Silence, and blessed darkness.
***
"Miruru!" Gabriel called, trying to track her down. She'd long ago outrun him, and he'd been tracking her by scent alone. (Gabriel, like all vampires, had a keen sense of smell.) But he'd nearly lost the scent by the time he reached the edge of the city, as his nose was getting worn out.
He stopped, and leaned forward, panting, with his hands on his knees. She had to be around here somewhere. Even he was getting tired, and he'd gotten used to outrunning her after all those years.
He apologized to his nose and took one last deep sniff, closing his eyes and letting his olfactory sense take over. That way. She had gone that way. He opened his eyes, and saw the cave.
She had gone inside it.
And Gabriel, so intent on finding Miruru, failed to notice the "Danger!" sign as well.
***
"Miruru!" The cry echoed through the large cavern. Miruru stiffened. Gabriel had discovered her hiding place. But how? And why?
She shrank up against the cave wall. Maybe he would go away if she ignored him.
"I know you're in here, Miruru," Gabriel said, calmly. "You can't hide from me." He voice was loud and clear, and caused a faint rumble from the ceiling above. The barriers that held the loose walls of the old cave in place had rotted years ago.
This was true. Gabriel's eyes were very sensitive to the light, and he adjusted to the darkness much more quickly than a human would. In a matter of moments, it was as clear as daylight for him, and he saw Miruru's outline against the far wall.
"Miruru?" he said, stepping toward her. She turned away, unable to face him.
"I'm sorry . . . I mean, what happened back there . . . I didn't know that Natsumi was there."
Miruru ignored him still, so he slowly walked toward her, until he was in front of her. He knelt down on one knee, and took her chin tenderly in his hand, forcing her to look at him.
"I'm sorry. For everything. I screwed up. I mean, I really screwed up."
"You said you loved Natsumi," Miruru whispered, her voice hollow. "After all that, you love Natsumi, not me."
"That's not true." He kept her chin steady, locking his pale gray eyes with her own green yellow ones. Her night vision was just as good as his, and she could see his eyes.
"Then . . ."
"I love you, Miruru, and I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you."
The joy that spread across Miruru's face was the most beautiful sight that Gabriel had ever seen.
"I love you too, Gabu-chan!" she cried shrilly, and pounced him, knocking him over onto the cave floor.
Unfortunately, the harmonics in Miruru's voice struck the rock walls exactly the right way. They both looked up in horror as the ceiling began to fall . . .
***
To be concluded . . .
*snickers evilly*