Dark Chocolate, White Diamonds
By Dixxy
Chapter Twenty: Back to Normal?
(Kento)
It was the day after the incident with the Dark Wing had happened. Now, it was nothing more than a bad memory, which is exactly how I wanted it to stay- a bad memory. I'd nearly lost my life, I'd nearly lost Keisha, and only God knows what else I could've lost.
Oh yeah. The whole universe.
It was midday, and everyone was trying to help Keisha and Evan move into Mike's house. Their rooms were slowly filling with suitcases, furniture, and other room junk. At that moment, I was hauling a box of clothing from the van Mike has rented up the stairs to Keisha's new room. I elbowed the door, sending a signal to Keisha that I wanted in.
"Coming!" she called. I could hear the padding of feet on carpet as she went to open the door. I looked in at her and smiled. She grinned back at me, her hands on her hips and a happy, yet somewhat tired look on her face. Yeah, the rest of us were lugging stuff back and fourth, but she had to figure out where everything went. "Hey, handsome."
"Hiya, babe," I said, giving her a quick kiss. "Where do you want this?"
"Just put it on the bed for now," she said. I complied, unloading my arms. I stretched them out, twisting them around and cracking my knuckles in one motion. My girlfriend rolled her eyes. I was about to leave to get more, but Keisha placed a hand on my shoulder. "Spare a lady five minutes?"
"I'd spare five hours for you," I said. The two of us sat down on her bed. "What's on your mind?"
"A lot," she said, rubbing my thigh. I looked down at her hand, then back up at her face. "This past month has been pretty hectic for me. On Thanksgiving, I had a decent relationship with you, no thoughts or worries about the Dynasty, and my parents. But now my folks and my grandmother are gone, Evan's got a staff, I'm living in a new house, and us. . . you know we've gone to a higher step."
I frowned. "Are you regretting us-"
"No, no, that's not it," she said, shaking her head vigorously with a slight smile on her face. "I don't regret anything about our night together. In fact, I cherish it." Keisha sighed heavily. "I just. . . I guess. . . things are changing really fast and I need to talk about it with someone."
"I'm all ears," I said. I snuck an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Just a month ago we were a normal couple- mystical armors aside, mind you- and I had a more normal family life. Now my parents are dead, I've slept with you, and Evan and I are going to be living under the same roof as you, Sage, Mike, Cara, and Sue Lee," she said. She traced a few circles on my shoulder. "It's not something I'm upset about, mind you- I couldn't be happier."
"Then why are you talking about it like it's bother you?" I asked, confused.
"I don't know."
I grinned. "You've just got the jitters because you've entered a whole new chapter in your life- you lost your parents, you've lost your virginity, and you're living in a different house. Those are some pretty big changes that are going to cause you to look at the world in a different way and you're nervous about that. That's all." Keisha looked up at me and I nodded reassuringly. "Now, unless there's something else worrying your pretty little head, I have to go help move stuff. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"All right," she said. "Don't hurt yourself."
"How can I hurt myself? I'm strong as an ox!" I said, flexing for her.
"Kento, sometimes you're a complete idiot, do you know that? I TOLD you that even YOU needed help with that last box, but did you listen to me? No, of course not," said Sage, who was ranting and raving over me pulling my back out while trying to lift a particularly big and heavy box. I was lying stomach-down on my bed while Sage ran his hands over my lower back. "You're lucky I have MAGICAL healing powers, or else you'd have a bad back at seventeen."
"I thought I could handle it," I said.
"Kento, I've seen you handle a lot of things. During our first war with Talpa you had a Winnebago pin you to the ground hood first. A wrecking ball smashed you into a building. You've gotten your ass kicked by so many Tin Cans I've lost count. Yet somehow, you're still alive. But no matter how strong you are, you have to lift with your legs and NOT your arms or else you'll throw your back out. And I think you've learned just how pleasant that can be," said Sage. He lifted his hands, cracked his knuckles, and started to massage my lower back.
"What are you doing that for?" I asked.
"Relieving the tension in the muscles so it'll heal better- remember? I have had training as a masseuse," said Sage. I sighed as his hands worked deeper into my back. It DID make my back feel better. Sage chuckled. "I know you'd probably prefer having Keisha do this."
"We have sex ONCE and suddenly everyone thinks that's all that's on our minds," I grumbled. By that point I was starting to get sick of it. The Senshi had been going up to Keisha and asking several questions about what it was like and all these other questions that screamed "urban myth". Sage and Cye had been incessantly teasing me about it (though I could get them to shut up by blackmail threat via my crystal ball). "Yes, it is now a factor in our relationship but it isn't the ONLY factor."
"I wasn't referring to that!" said Sage, sounding offended (but at least he didn't tease- for one, he'd been blackmailed with some sort of a stuffed toy named "Mr. Binky" and for two, he doesn't have the virtue of Wisdom for nothing). "It's more the fact that I'm a boy and I'm giving you a massage just an inch or so away from your rump. Not the fact that you'd be looking for a little more than a massage from her."
"You're probably right, but considering this is for an injury related reason, I'd trust you a little more than I'd trust her," I said. "You said yourself that your grandfather made you take classes for this kind of stuff since everyone thought you'd be running your family's dojo."
"Point taken," he said, wiping his hands against each other. "All done." I sat up and started to get up, my mind set on getting another box. Sage whistled, halting me in my track. "I don't think so, Kento. You're done for today. If I see you so much as look at a box in the wrong way. . . I'll electrocute you."
"You wouldn't," I said. The playfulness from Sage's eyes disappeared as he reverted back to his old self. The broad-end-of-a-rake-up-his-ass Sage had returned. Not the happy-Flitteree Sage that most of us preferred. I gulped. "You're serious, aren't you?" Sage nodded. "Okay, I'll go help Keisha move in. But if you electrocute me for no reason, I'll tell the girls all about Mr. Binky."
"I don't want you lifting anything heavier than a lamp- YOU LEAVE MR. BINKY OUT OF THIS!" he said, pointing a finger at me in accusation. Then, realizing he'd just screamed "Mr. Binky" loud enough for the entire household to hear, he clamped his hand over his mouth and I laughed.
"Yes, mother," I said with a laugh, exiting my room and going across the hall to Keisha's.
Once I went into the said room, I found my girlfriend loading clothing into her closet. Once she heard me she paused and turned her head. She looked up at me, smiled, and waved me over. "Hey, Kento. How's your back? From the way you screamed I thought that the Dynasty was back for a second."
"Nah, I'm all right," I said, shrugging as I dropped to the floor and crossed my legs. "Sage fixed it up. He's put me on heavy object moving probation with a punishment of the Halo magic kind looming over my head. So I decided to help you. Anything you need help with here?"
"Sure," she said. "Can you unload my books onto my book shelf?"
"Want them alphabetized?" I asked.
"If you'd like," she said.
"Good- that's busy work," I said, crawling over to a box of books located by a short, wooden bookshelf. Then I got to work on the new task. As I started to put books on the shelf, I decided to strike up a conversation. "So, how do you like living at Mike's house so far?"
"It's okay," she said, shrugging as she brushed off a dress, hung it on a hanger, and put it into her closet. She bit her bottom lip and cocked her head to the side as she began to look over a sweater. "Living with my boyfriend is going to be different, but I think I'll get used to it."
"That's good," I said, continuing to alphabetize the books. For the most part it was pretty easy- just put the books in alphabetical order by the author's last name and I was golden. Keisha had a nice selection of books ranging from fantasy to murder mystery to some of the classics. Things were fairly quiet for a few minutes as we continued out work, until I hit something difficult.
"Kidnapped," I said.
"What?" she said, looking startled.
I held up the book cover with a frown on my face as I pointed at a copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped. "I know how Chinese names work, since you're supposed to have three names, but he isn't Japanese and I don't know if you want him with the 'L' section or the 'S' section!"
Keisha fell onto her back, laughing hysterically. I looked at her in confusion and wondered if I'd just lost her. My girlfriend sat up, smiling brightly at me. "Oh, Kento, you goof! Not important! Just put it with the 'S' section!" She held her stomach, still giggling.
I pouted. Then, I grinned, crawling over to her. Keisha backed away slightly, looking at me with mild fright. I chuckled- she knew EXACTLY what was coming. Before she had a chance to get away, I pounced on top of her and dug my fingers into her sides, causing her to go from laughing to squealing.
"Kento, stop it!" she cried in between giggles.
Knowing I could use my size to my advantage, I straddled her waist and pinned her to the floor. "Say please," I said, resorting to taking her hands and waving them around. "You have to say the magic word and maybe I'll consider getting off of you. But that's a maybe, babe, not a definite- a maybe."
Keisha looked at me, still laughing. "You jerk! Get off of me!"
"Make me."
That, I learned, was something not to tell Keisha. She ripped her hands out of mine and started to tickle me. I rolled to one side to get away from her sides. With me recovering from her attack, Keisha got to her feet and bolted out of the door. Seeing that she wanted to play, I gave chase.
Later that night, after everyone else was asleep, I was in my room, feeling strangely alone in my room. I sighed heavily, turning over. I wanted to be with Keisha. I didn't necessarily want to be with her in THAT way, I was just lonesome and wanted someone to talk to. About what? I wasn't sure. Anything. I was just lonely.
I hugged one of my pillows, wishing it was my girlfriend. Her voice, her body, her hair. . . I loved everything about her. I loved the way she sounded when she laughed. I loved the way she joked about different things. I loved the way she kissed. I loved when she snuggled up me, looked into my eyes, and told me that she loved me.
"I've got it BAD for her," I said to myself, smiling. I sat up, looking around my room. I was seriously considering sneaking into her room- even if it was just to talk. But Mike would throw a hissy-fit if he caught me doing that. I could almost hear the lecture he'd have given us, too. I inwardly laughed. I'd see her tomorrow first thing.
I lied back down, looking at my clock. Ironically enough, it was 12:21 AM during the wee hours of the morning. I closed my eyes and sighed in frustration. It was now December 21, and I had a slightly big problem on hand. Christmas was in four days, and I had gifts for everyone but one person.
Keisha.
Originally, before the Dark Wing killed her parents, I had planned on getting her a pretty necklace or some sort of a pretty trinket. That would've been appropriate, right? Something that you'd expect for a boyfriend to get his girlfriend for Christmas- nothing too extravagant, but not too cheap, either.
But now that our relationship had changed so much, I felt like I had to get her something REALLY special. THAT was my problem. What the hell was I going to get her for Christmas? It had to be something good- we were really, really close now and I couldn't get away with something like I had originally planned. I needed to get her something REALLY nice. But what?
I wracked my brain. Hey, I was awake and I had four days to get her something- good a time as any to start thinking about it. I needed to get her something really special to show her just how much I loved her. How much she meant to me. Something that told her I would always be there for her.
But what could I get her?
I need to show her how much I love her. How much I care about her and how much she really means to me. But how in the world am I going to pull that off? What can I do to really, really, really impress her? Then, I got an idea, and I smiled. I knew exactly what I was going to do.
