1 Chapter Two – Halcyon
Fuuko curled up in the sofa, waiting for her husband to come home. She had waited so long, she had fallen asleep.
A key turned in the door, and he came in. "Fuuko?"
He smiled. The way the tip of her tongue poked out from her lips was so adorable. "I'm home."
She awoke immediately. "Raiha!" She threw her arms around him. "Hungry?"
He shook his head. "I need a bath, though. I'm all grubby."
She never asked how his day went. It was unspoken but tacit agreement. Neither of them needed for him to tell her how many people he had killed, or terrorised, or threatened. Nor did they need for him to complain about his job, or his boss. There were many things they felt needn't be said. It was better that way.
Still, there were things she knew. If he needed a bath, it meant he hadn't gotten dirty – that is, bloodied – enough to need one before coming home. That meant he hadn't killed anyone.
Their apartment was a sanctuary, for him more than for her, that kept him from the darkness of his job. He never wanted to let that darkness enter his little domestic haven, and never spoke of such things at home. It was better that way.
They always slept wrapped up in each other. He would wake in the morning breathing in the sweet musk of her nape, and would go to sleep enjoying the same scent.
"How was your day?" he asked as he came out of the bathroom, towelling his hair. It was okay to ask her, of course.
"Not bad. Recca and Yanagi came over with their kid. He'll be one in about a month. He's getting really cute! And he crawls all over the place! If I hadn't gotten your stuff out of the way he may have impaled himself on one of your spare katana."
"Oh dear."
"Well, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad," she admitted. He grinned. She still hadn't grown out of her tendency to resort to hyperbole now and again.
"Should we get a present? I passed a mall on the way home, and there was the cutest baby boutique I saw. We could go take a look tomorrow. They have lots of first-birthday stuff."
"That would be lovely. What time are you free?"
"It really depends. Things have been quiet for a while, so I should be free. I'll go in in the morning, and if Kurei doesn't need me, we'll meet for lunch and then go shop. How does that sound?"
She beamed. "Lovely." She tucked her head beneath his. "It's wonderful to be able to spend time with you."
"Good night, Fuuko."
"Good night, Raiha."
He stroked her hair as he lay with her in the dark, thinking. Recca's boy was almost a year old. That kid was really growing. According to Fuuko, the child looked exactly like his parents, and behaved like them too.
Which wasn't really a good thing, Raiha thought, considering how much like a monkey Recca could be.
He chuckled to himself. Mikagami's snobby comment from years back had stuck, and even he was using it now. They had all been kids then. Playing at being grown-up. He was still struck by the seemingly miraculous way none of them had died. Somewhere in that forest, he was sure, was still the rubble of a bloodstained hall, and in the rubble were piles of bones.
He was just glad Fuuko's was not one of those.
"Fuuko?" he whispered contemplatively.
"Hm?" Her voice was cloaked in sleep. "What is it?"
"You know Recca's son?"
"What about him?"
"You want one too, don't you?"
He could feel Fuuko moving out from within his arms and flip around in bed. Her fingers sought his face in the darkness.
"Raiha… You've told me already why we can't have kids. I understand, you know. Yes, I do want a child of my own. But what if you are killed? Neither of us wants our children to grow up father-less. It wouldn't be fair to him."
"You're sad, aren't you?"
She sighed. "Well – yes. But I do agree that it's better not to have any."
He paused, and stroked her face. "Thank you."
"I love you, Raiha. More than anything in the world. I don't ever want you to die."
"I love you too, Fuuko. Heh. I promise I'll try my best not to."
"Now go to sleep, and stop thinking about all these things. You need your beauty sleep."
Fuuko curled up in the sofa, waiting for her husband to come home. She had waited so long, she had fallen asleep.
A key turned in the door, and he came in. "Fuuko?"
He smiled. The way the tip of her tongue poked out from her lips was so adorable. "I'm home."
She awoke immediately. "Raiha!" She threw her arms around him. "Hungry?"
He shook his head. "I need a bath, though. I'm all grubby."
She never asked how his day went. It was unspoken but tacit agreement. Neither of them needed for him to tell her how many people he had killed, or terrorised, or threatened. Nor did they need for him to complain about his job, or his boss. There were many things they felt needn't be said. It was better that way.
Still, there were things she knew. If he needed a bath, it meant he hadn't gotten dirty – that is, bloodied – enough to need one before coming home. That meant he hadn't killed anyone.
Their apartment was a sanctuary, for him more than for her, that kept him from the darkness of his job. He never wanted to let that darkness enter his little domestic haven, and never spoke of such things at home. It was better that way.
They always slept wrapped up in each other. He would wake in the morning breathing in the sweet musk of her nape, and would go to sleep enjoying the same scent.
"How was your day?" he asked as he came out of the bathroom, towelling his hair. It was okay to ask her, of course.
"Not bad. Recca and Yanagi came over with their kid. He'll be one in about a month. He's getting really cute! And he crawls all over the place! If I hadn't gotten your stuff out of the way he may have impaled himself on one of your spare katana."
"Oh dear."
"Well, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad," she admitted. He grinned. She still hadn't grown out of her tendency to resort to hyperbole now and again.
"Should we get a present? I passed a mall on the way home, and there was the cutest baby boutique I saw. We could go take a look tomorrow. They have lots of first-birthday stuff."
"That would be lovely. What time are you free?"
"It really depends. Things have been quiet for a while, so I should be free. I'll go in in the morning, and if Kurei doesn't need me, we'll meet for lunch and then go shop. How does that sound?"
She beamed. "Lovely." She tucked her head beneath his. "It's wonderful to be able to spend time with you."
"Good night, Fuuko."
"Good night, Raiha."
He stroked her hair as he lay with her in the dark, thinking. Recca's boy was almost a year old. That kid was really growing. According to Fuuko, the child looked exactly like his parents, and behaved like them too.
Which wasn't really a good thing, Raiha thought, considering how much like a monkey Recca could be.
He chuckled to himself. Mikagami's snobby comment from years back had stuck, and even he was using it now. They had all been kids then. Playing at being grown-up. He was still struck by the seemingly miraculous way none of them had died. Somewhere in that forest, he was sure, was still the rubble of a bloodstained hall, and in the rubble were piles of bones.
He was just glad Fuuko's was not one of those.
"Fuuko?" he whispered contemplatively.
"Hm?" Her voice was cloaked in sleep. "What is it?"
"You know Recca's son?"
"What about him?"
"You want one too, don't you?"
He could feel Fuuko moving out from within his arms and flip around in bed. Her fingers sought his face in the darkness.
"Raiha… You've told me already why we can't have kids. I understand, you know. Yes, I do want a child of my own. But what if you are killed? Neither of us wants our children to grow up father-less. It wouldn't be fair to him."
"You're sad, aren't you?"
She sighed. "Well – yes. But I do agree that it's better not to have any."
He paused, and stroked her face. "Thank you."
"I love you, Raiha. More than anything in the world. I don't ever want you to die."
"I love you too, Fuuko. Heh. I promise I'll try my best not to."
"Now go to sleep, and stop thinking about all these things. You need your beauty sleep."