After All... - Part Seven: Scheme
Notes: Musashi has a little plan to get a couple of people together... Enough said. I'm not sure I'm happy with this part, since it didn't really end up going where I wanted it to. But I got lazy and put it up anyway. So... uhhh... enjoy! And tell me if it sucks, 'kay? ^_^;
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Hmm.. it seems I've said that before... Déjà vu, or something. :P
*****
"Ohayo, Musashi!"
I turn my head just in time to see Kojiro walk through the door, his own wide grin making me smile as well. I tap my pencil against the paper on the table in front of me, where I had spent the last hour wading through a list of expenses. It seems sometimes that I worry more about such things than Kojiro does.
"And where have you been?"
"I took Ootachi out for a walk... I even told you I was going! You just nodded and mumbled something. You were too spaced out over all those papers," he smirks at me, a little bit too cocky for his own good. I ponder getting up and smacking him, but lately I've been feeling rather heavy on my feet. Instead, I wait until he takes another step, then hold up a hand to freeze him in mid-step.
"Kojiro-chan... Your feet." He blinks down at them as though he had forgotten he had them in the first place. Then he shrugs and keeps on walking. "Kojiro! If you take one more step toward me in those muddy shoes, I swear you're going to be sorry for a very long time!"
He frowns at my threat, then plops down on the floor to pry them off. I look around for Ootachi and am thankful to see it hopping around the furniture, mercifully mud-less. "Really. Even the rodent had more sense than to walk around in mud. I'm disappointed you know, very, very disappointed," I continue in mock dismay.
He says nothing, merely stands again to shuffle the rest of the way toward me, his socks whispering against the hard wooden floor. Bending down to gather me into a hug, he speaks softly in my ear, "And how are my two beautiful girls today?"
"And how do you know it's a girl?" I ask, temporarily forgetting what we had been discussing.
"Because," he answers with a smile, as if it was really a simple thing. He kneels down beside me to rest an ear against my stomach; he looks up a moment later to smile again gently. "She told me."
"Oh, Kojiro..." I sigh, momentarily losing myself in the intensity of the light in his eyes while I run my fingers through a few wisps of stray hair hanging about his face. "Being so sweet and innocent isn't going to make me forget about the mess you made."
"Musashi!" he cries, collapsing forward so that his head lands against my chest. "It was worth a try," he mumbles into it.
"I suppose. Now, if you're quite through, I suggest you clean it up now."
"It's too soft here... I don't think I can get up."
"Kojiro..." I begin in a tone that suggests he'll be in considerable trouble if he doesn't listen.
"All right, okay." As he busies himself with that task, I turn my attention back to my papers with a smile. Now, just a few more calculations...
*****
"Are you done yet?" Kojiro asks blearily from across the table. I pause to look up at his red-rimmed eyes blinking at me from the edge of the table. He had been sitting there for quite some time; exactly how long, I'm not sure. All I remember is that after we had eaten supper, I had returned to my papers. I shift them around into order and shake my head.
"I'm sorry, but I guess I lost track of time. You know how it is."
"Yeah... yeah..." he mumbles sleepily.
"Stop that. Besides, it's only 8:00! What are you so tired for?"
"I don't have to do anything... Just watching you makes me tired."
"Well, I wanted to go over all those things one last time. It won't hurt to make sure everything's in order. Anyway, I'll go make you some tea, maybe that will help keep you awake." The response to this is unintelligible, so I just go ahead and make the tea, my mind overflowing with thoughts all the while. When I finally set a cup in front of my husband, he stares at it blankly.
"You know, it helps if you actually drink it."
"Ha... Musashi, you're very witty tonight."
"Mmhmm. I've been thinking..."
"No..."
I give him an exasperated frown before I continue. "I've been thinking about Yamato."
"Yamato? About what way would be best to kill her?"
"No. Now be quiet, get your finger out of that tea, and drink it."
"Yes, ma'am. Any particular order you want those things?"
"Kojiro!"
"Okay! Just tell me!"
With a final menacing glare, I turn my gaze back to my own cup, watching the steam drifting up in translucent patterns. "Every time she comes over here... You know, I'd swear she was jealous of the two of us. I think that Kosaburo does have feelings for her... And she may return those feelings. And if I could get them together somehow, I figure that might take care of Yamato's nasty attitude."
I sit back to think over my own words. It had been at least five months since we had met up with our old enemies, and the two of them came over to visit us at least twice a week during that time. Yamato has continued to act standoffish and at times extremely rude, especially when she sees the touches and smile Kojiro and I often share. It's true that we are still very much in love, which is heightened by the anticipation of our baby's arrival in a few months, but she should not have those reactions if she wasn't jealous.
It is a miracle, as Kojiro puts it sometimes, that I've refrained from killing her so far. For the sake of my own sanity, a plan begins to form in my mind, a way to get my two old enemies together so that they can get on with their lives and maybe be a little happier for it. I open my mouth to share this plan with Kojiro, but I notice that is asleep with his face pressed against the table top, mumbling something under his breath. I sigh and shake my head, trying to feel exasperated again, but end up smiling fondly as I drag him off to bed. The plan will work, I'm... fairly... sure of it.
*****
"Are you sure about this?"
Kojiro's bored and uncertain expression causes me to arch an eyebrow at him before bending slightly to attend to the row of buttons on his shirt. He winces when I jerk at them a little more roughly than necessary.
"Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know. I'm just not sure I like the idea of you playing matchmaker to Yamato and Kosa... Kosa..."
"Kosaburo."
"I was getting to that. I would have thought they would have figured it all out between them by now."
"Well, I don't think so. They're just denying their true feelings for each other. We finally did admit ours, after all."
"Yes, but..." Musashi," he says gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Not all people who partnered together in Rocket-dan ended up in love. It's not like we're typical examples. So why do you seem to think that--"
"Because I do," I snap at him irritably. "I've seen the way he looks at her and the way she acts jealous around us. And by the end of the night, I'm going to enjoy saying 'I told you so'."
"Oh... Is that so?" he replies stiffly, obviously fighting to keep a semblance of composure. "We'll just see about that, won't we?"
"Yes, we will," I add before we go our separate ways. I really do hate it when we are at odds with each other, but I feel I simply can't be wrong on this.
*****
Yamato and Kosaburo arrive shortly in time for supper - at least, that is only what they think they're getting into tonight. I had carefully planned this out, of course, ever since I had invited them a week ago. Much to their confusion, I seat myself next to Kosaburo, while Kojiro sits next to Yamato. Only momentarily disoriented, they are soon chatting with us over inane subjects while we eat.
"This is all great, really great," Kosaburo comments around a mouthful. "Who made it?"
"Oh, Kojiro did... He fixes everything we eat, and he's really so wonderful." Even though I am talking about my husband, I am careful to be staring directly at Kosaburo, batting my eyelashes occasionally in an almost flirtatious way. I can hear Kojiro audibly grinding his teeth from across the table, but avoid turning to glare at him. He knows very well what the plan is, and I am sticking to it whether he likes it or not.
But our two guests end up looking twice as confused as the first time. Silence falls before I notice Yamato frowning at Ootachi as it sniffs around her feet. Not being able to resist, I ask, "Problem, Yamato?"
She sniffs haughtily. "I'm just wondering if you train that thing. Like for battling trainers, or for the Pokémon League, or whatever."
"Battle... League?" I hear Kojiro mumble to himself as he stares into space at something apparently only he can see. Obviously he had never even thought of such a thing before. I feel like jumping over the table and yanking those orange ponytails for putting the idea in his head. I write Kojiro out of my plan, since he has now forgotten about it anyway. Now it's all up to me, a challenge I'm undaunted by.
"No, we don't. Now what were we talking about before?"
"We weren't talking about anything," Yamato states flatly. I glare at her. It is at this point that I decide to drop the indirect approach and head straight to the direct approach.
"Funny, isn't it?" I sigh as if to myself, swirling my teacup in an absentminded way. "How two people who've known each other for so long... could also take so long to acknowledge their feelings for each other?"
I admit that this was rather lame and seemed to come from nowhere, but it was the first thing to run through my head and roll off my tongue. I smile as dreamily as I can at Kojiro across the table, slipping my hand over his for added effect. Of course, he is still staring off over my head somewhere. I swear to myself that I will kill him later.
"Well, no... Not really," Kosaburo says with a smile, looking over at Yamato as he does so. My own smile brightens considerably. Could it be that they will play into my "trap" so easily?
"Oh, please. Musashi, what crazy scheme are you cooking up this time? No wait, let me guess. You're trying to fix me up with Kosaburo so we'll leave you alone, right?"
Damn. She knows me too well, I seethe inwardly. Kosaburo looks confused, but then, most men seem slow when it comes to things like this. "All I'm saying is, the two of you should really think over your relationship with each other. Neither of you seem happy the way you are now. I think you should just give it a chance."
This has all gone completely and horribly off-course from what I had originally intended, but if it gets a result...
"If you don't mind... Could I speak to Yamato in the other room?" Yamato looks shocked at her former partner's request, but I grin widely.
"Of course not. Just go ahead." I wave the two of them out, then turn back to Kojiro to find him staring blankly at me.
"What just... happened?"
"You would know if you had been paying attention," I scowl at him. He just sighs in reply; we wait for Yamato and Kosaburo to return in complete silence.
I think at least 20 minutes have passed before they do. "I'm sorry to eat and run like this," Kosaburo announces slowly, looking sideways at Yamato, "But we're going back to my place to talk a bit more..."
"Oh! That's no problem," I say, trying not to sound overly happy about it. We see them to the door at least, and I am satisfied to see that Yamato has quieted down significantly and blushes at awkward moments.
Kosaburo pulls me briefly to the side to whisper, "Thanks, Musashi... For giving me this opportunity. Otherwise, I don't know when I would have found the courage to say something to her."
I merely smile, really feeling genuinely happy for them, as well as for the fact that my suspicions proved correct. I would never have thought I would be saying this, but it is nice to see something good happen in someone else's life - no matter if you once hated them - whether it is intentional on your part or not.
*****
"I told you so."
Saying this produces no response from Kojiro. But then, maybe I had rubbed it in just a bit too much tonight. I can hear the rythm of his breathing as he lays beside me on the bed with his back turned to me, and he is definitely not asleep. I extend a finger to poke him sharply in the ribs.
"Stop sulking."
"I'm not."
With a sigh, I climb over him so that I can lay facing him. Seeing his face in the dark makes me smile. "You know, you really are adorable when you pout. Your lip sticks out so cute." I trace my fingers along those lips and make no effort to stifle the giggle that rises up my throat. "It makes me want to kiss you... Or at least smack you around for awhile instead."
"Very, very funny, Musashi," he mutters. "You should have been a comedian." After a few more moments of acting indignant, his expression melts somewhat and he pulls me closer to him. I take the opportunity to kiss him gently, the warmth of his lips sending pleasant tingles down my body. His hands caress me lightly, teasingly in my opinion, before he stops and just smiles at me.
"And what are we so smug about now, hm?"
"At least I feel a little better knowing that your plan didn't really work."
"Well, I got them to at least talk about it, right? And I think they will work it out on their own now... They just needed a little push to get them going." He doesn't have a reply for this, and I can tell that his mind is switching modes.
"Musashi, can we--"
"No."
"But I haven't even ask--"
"No."
"But you have to lis--"
"No, Kojiro! We are not going to train that little rat for anything! We don't need that kind of stress, anyway! So just forget it. I should've killed Yamato after all."
"How did you know I was going to ask that," he grumbles back, the previous look returning to his face.
"I can read your mind," I tease, tapping him on the nose.
"So what am I thinking now?"
"Kojiro! You know better than that!"
"Darn... I know. Worth a try." He smiles at me. "Good night then, Musa-chan."
"K... Kojiro? What were you thinking?"
"You read my mind, right? So you know."
"Stop teasing me..."
"If I told you... you would kill me. So I'm safer not telling. But then, you'll probably kill me if I don't tell... So either way, I'm dead. Unless--"
I cut off his rambling with another kiss; if I hadn't stopped him, he would likely go on all night. "Just be quiet. I don't want to know what you said." I snuggle closer to him, listening to the rythm of his breathing slow and deepen, and finally fall asleep myself with a happy smile on my face, dreaming, as usual, of the tiny life within me.
*****
On another night in the future, exactly on schedule, I turn once again to nudge my husband, this time to awaken him.
"Kojiro... It's time now..."