Makino's tautly clenched hands formed four sets of crescent shaped wrinkles in her cotton skirt. Her knuckles shone out in stark contrast against the red and blue plaid. The accelerating plane let out a whine that pierced her tender nerves. Every part of her shook in time to the vibrations of the steel chaise.
Whispering a Buddhist chant of protection, Makino loosened her fingers from her skirt and fumbled again with her seatbelt. The slightly serrated edge was already grinding against the soft meat of her stomach.
What does it falling feel like? How would it be different from the air plane's rumbling in her flat chest? She had fallen once already
this trip. Out in a blizzard, looking for Yuki, blinded by snow, she
had fallen down a cliff and into a freezy pile of snow. Her ankle
still throbbed at the thought of it. There, on the cliff, it hadn't
been high enough to kill her, but from the plane, there would be little chance of survival.
The vibrations quickened and her vertebrae vibed with it, causing
her to shutter. The plane was hurdling to the edge of its asphalt
world. After that it would be fly or fall. Makino fumbled with her belt, chanting under her breath, but her stiff fingers seemed unable to stop shaking long enough for her to tighten it further.
"Let me do that."
Makino felt her heart pause, mid beat in her chest at the sudden intrusion in her silent world. The tension returned to her arms as she clutched the belt tighter. Perhaps falling would feel like that, an abrupt stopping of breathing, but only over and extended period of time.
Looking over into the next seat, she marveled at how she could have forgotten his overbearing presence beside her.
Doumiyouji.
Her nervous senses filled with the quintessence of him. His expensive perfume, too fine and rich to be called cologne, tinted the air. A halo of welcoming heat ebbed from him, making her want to pull it around herself like a comforter. But she couldn't do that. He was the reason she had been dragged to Canada in the first place with his dirty bribe money. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have nearly frozen to death.
Yes- her conscious told her- if it hadn't been for Doumiyouji's rescue, you would have completely frozen to death.
Watching Doumiyouji's large hands move forward, she scrambled back, a blush on her cheeks as she remembered that night. He had been warm then too, his chest smooth and firm, and how his face had blushed in the morning when he saw her in only her bra...
Scrambling towards the window, she tried to maintain the shrinking space between them. From the corner of her eye, she watched as the ground beneath the airplane spiraled away from them, becoming an indistinctive valley of ice crusted snow. With nothing below the airplane's wheels, the rumbling subsided, and Makino felt herself go weightless, except for her heavy stomach and heart, plummeting to her
feet.
This was the sensation of falling. She tried stifled a scream, but couldn't.
"Get off me!" Makino screamed and slapped Doumiyouji across the face.
The sound echoed in the cabin, as Doumiyouji pulled away, his face turning red with rage.
"Tsukasa," Hanazawa Rui's calm voice came from behind them. Makino looked up to see Rui's chin resting against the top of the seat. His hair was ruffled, and his eyes were cloudy with sleep. "Wait until we get home before you molest Tsukushi. I'm sleeping."
"Don't be so damn familiar!" Doumiyouji screamed, and threw his elbow back towards Rui's nose, but Makino put up her hand between the two, stopping what was actually a gentle blow.
"And you don't sound so protective of me!" Makino rebuttled.
The falling sensation had eased in her stomach. Other than the weight of air pressure in her ears, everything felt normal, including Doumiyouji's intense gaze. He cleared his throat and then turned to face the front of the empty seat in front of him.
"Fine. What do I care if a poor girl like you gets a bad reputation for being familiar and easy with guys!"
"My reputation? You're a fine one to be worried about my reputation! You bribe me with your money to come see you in Canada and then act all indignate when I bring other's with me as chaperons!"
Makino crossed her arms, gripping her red sweater to prevent herself from slapping his face again and again. "Baka!"
"Humph. Like you would have taken my money without having a condition."
He was right. Makino felt her head grow heavy with the thought of it. If Doumiyouji had just offered her the money, even as a loan, she would have told him to go to hell and that she couldn't be bought. But, since he had made it clear it was a contract, that she would render services, in this case, the visit to Canada, she had accepted, and had been bought. But, she had after all sold herself for the welfare of her family, just as was any good daughter's duty.
But then, what was her duty to Doumiyouji? What else would he expect before he lent her the money her family needed?
"I wired the money to my lawyer when you arrived. By the time you get home, your loser father should have all his debts paid."
"Doumiyouji!"
Beside her, the smell of his perfume rose in the air as the millionaire's son blushed. "Arigato."
"Oui," Doumiyouji pointed past her face, his shirt cuff almost brushing the tip of her nose. "Look, the Pacific Ocean."
For the first time since the plane had taken off, Makino looked outside the window. Below, the ocean flickered in fading red orange light of the sunset. It was as if the arms of the waves had reached up and plucked the colors out and placed them on its back.
"Beautiful!"
Makino thought she heard Doumiyouji say something.
"Yes, you are."
Whispering a Buddhist chant of protection, Makino loosened her fingers from her skirt and fumbled again with her seatbelt. The slightly serrated edge was already grinding against the soft meat of her stomach.
What does it falling feel like? How would it be different from the air plane's rumbling in her flat chest? She had fallen once already
this trip. Out in a blizzard, looking for Yuki, blinded by snow, she
had fallen down a cliff and into a freezy pile of snow. Her ankle
still throbbed at the thought of it. There, on the cliff, it hadn't
been high enough to kill her, but from the plane, there would be little chance of survival.
The vibrations quickened and her vertebrae vibed with it, causing
her to shutter. The plane was hurdling to the edge of its asphalt
world. After that it would be fly or fall. Makino fumbled with her belt, chanting under her breath, but her stiff fingers seemed unable to stop shaking long enough for her to tighten it further.
"Let me do that."
Makino felt her heart pause, mid beat in her chest at the sudden intrusion in her silent world. The tension returned to her arms as she clutched the belt tighter. Perhaps falling would feel like that, an abrupt stopping of breathing, but only over and extended period of time.
Looking over into the next seat, she marveled at how she could have forgotten his overbearing presence beside her.
Doumiyouji.
Her nervous senses filled with the quintessence of him. His expensive perfume, too fine and rich to be called cologne, tinted the air. A halo of welcoming heat ebbed from him, making her want to pull it around herself like a comforter. But she couldn't do that. He was the reason she had been dragged to Canada in the first place with his dirty bribe money. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have nearly frozen to death.
Yes- her conscious told her- if it hadn't been for Doumiyouji's rescue, you would have completely frozen to death.
Watching Doumiyouji's large hands move forward, she scrambled back, a blush on her cheeks as she remembered that night. He had been warm then too, his chest smooth and firm, and how his face had blushed in the morning when he saw her in only her bra...
Scrambling towards the window, she tried to maintain the shrinking space between them. From the corner of her eye, she watched as the ground beneath the airplane spiraled away from them, becoming an indistinctive valley of ice crusted snow. With nothing below the airplane's wheels, the rumbling subsided, and Makino felt herself go weightless, except for her heavy stomach and heart, plummeting to her
feet.
This was the sensation of falling. She tried stifled a scream, but couldn't.
"Get off me!" Makino screamed and slapped Doumiyouji across the face.
The sound echoed in the cabin, as Doumiyouji pulled away, his face turning red with rage.
"Tsukasa," Hanazawa Rui's calm voice came from behind them. Makino looked up to see Rui's chin resting against the top of the seat. His hair was ruffled, and his eyes were cloudy with sleep. "Wait until we get home before you molest Tsukushi. I'm sleeping."
"Don't be so damn familiar!" Doumiyouji screamed, and threw his elbow back towards Rui's nose, but Makino put up her hand between the two, stopping what was actually a gentle blow.
"And you don't sound so protective of me!" Makino rebuttled.
The falling sensation had eased in her stomach. Other than the weight of air pressure in her ears, everything felt normal, including Doumiyouji's intense gaze. He cleared his throat and then turned to face the front of the empty seat in front of him.
"Fine. What do I care if a poor girl like you gets a bad reputation for being familiar and easy with guys!"
"My reputation? You're a fine one to be worried about my reputation! You bribe me with your money to come see you in Canada and then act all indignate when I bring other's with me as chaperons!"
Makino crossed her arms, gripping her red sweater to prevent herself from slapping his face again and again. "Baka!"
"Humph. Like you would have taken my money without having a condition."
He was right. Makino felt her head grow heavy with the thought of it. If Doumiyouji had just offered her the money, even as a loan, she would have told him to go to hell and that she couldn't be bought. But, since he had made it clear it was a contract, that she would render services, in this case, the visit to Canada, she had accepted, and had been bought. But, she had after all sold herself for the welfare of her family, just as was any good daughter's duty.
But then, what was her duty to Doumiyouji? What else would he expect before he lent her the money her family needed?
"I wired the money to my lawyer when you arrived. By the time you get home, your loser father should have all his debts paid."
"Doumiyouji!"
Beside her, the smell of his perfume rose in the air as the millionaire's son blushed. "Arigato."
"Oui," Doumiyouji pointed past her face, his shirt cuff almost brushing the tip of her nose. "Look, the Pacific Ocean."
For the first time since the plane had taken off, Makino looked outside the window. Below, the ocean flickered in fading red orange light of the sunset. It was as if the arms of the waves had reached up and plucked the colors out and placed them on its back.
"Beautiful!"
Makino thought she heard Doumiyouji say something.
"Yes, you are."