Disclaimer: Yui doesn't own Gravitation. Murakami-sensei does.
Ningyo hime is sung by Rie Tanaka.
Aching Desire
(Nagareboshi 3)
by Miyamoto Yui
Chapter 28 – It was protecting what made me happy.
My eyes averted themselves away from both of them. I was flustered on what to do though I was trying to be as calm as I could with what I had to work with. Which wasn't much if you asked me.
There _has_ to be some way.
Ryuichi interrupted my thoughts as he said, "Yes, we can."
Tsuki and both looked at the determined face that wouldn't give up. His eyes squinted as he looked right at me. This look told me, "I will not lose you ever again."
"I have to get to my father's soon," I grimly announced though I didn't need to say anything at all.
What do we do with Tsuki? If anything happens, we'll lose the child. And that's the last thing that we want happening.
At that moment, I turned to Tsuki. "The first thing I want you to do is get your stuff packed. I'm going to ask Touma-san if you can stay with them."
Tsuki nodded silently as I watched Ryuichi already getting his cell out to call Touma. He then pulled my shirt and kissed me on the cheek as he whispered, "I'll follow you to hell itself, Tatsuha. Please don't ever leave me again."
His hand trembled and then he let go as he paced around the room. "Touma, I need to ask you a favor."
Then, Ryuichi started to laugh. "You always know what I'm thinking, don't you…"
When he pressed the button to end the conversation, Tsuki came down and was ready to leave. She sat down on the couch as Ryuichi already began to spoil her by pulling out another Kumogurou from his pocket. This time, it was a plushie.
I sighed as I saw Tsuki die on the couch as Ryuichi tried his hardest to keep from smirking in satisfaction. I think he loved the fact that he could tease her.
"I'm bearing Sakuma Ryuichi's lover's child!" repeated in my mind. I shook my head and chuckled as I looked at both of them.
Pulling slightly on the curtains, we waited for Touma's driver to come and pick Tsuki up. I looked out the window in anxiety as the clock ticked away.
Sighing, I couldn't help but ponder on the next move.
I turned around and we came up with a plan.
"So, I go to Father's," I said as I leaned on the wall with my arms folded.
"I hide at Seguchi-san's place," Tsuki added with a smile.
"I'll be right outside of your residence waiting for your return. I'll be discussing ideas with Touma about doing the concert after all."
After a few hours, one of Touma's drivers came to pick Tsuki up. But it was kind of funny because she kissed me on the cheek and she didn't know how to say goodbye to Ryuichi. Instead, they did something that made them both happy.
I sighed as I saw both of them have their Kumogorou's kiss one another goodbye. Then, she hugged Ryuichi as she waved goodbye. (She was never one to just go out quietly, if you haven't noticed already.)
"Stay there until we call you back," I instructed her as I patted her shoulder as she got into the car.
"Geez Tatsuha. You told me this so many times already." She sighed as she looked up to my face while sitting down. "Trust that this will be okay. And it will, Tat-chan."
I laughed with a thoughtful smile at how warm her words were. She had never changed at all, and that suited me just fine.
Ryuichi laughed as he pushed the car door to close it for her. "Please don't wear out Touma-san," he said.
"What? Seguchi-san?" She joked as she blinked her eyes.
We sweatdropped in fear. Touma was part of Nittle Grasper…how could I have forgotten for a moment about her fangirl impulses?
As they drove away, I closed the gate behind us and looked at Ryuichi. He nodded his head and threw the helmet at me again. I blinked at him and shook my head.
Instead, I pushed it into his hands. "This time, you hold onto me, Ryuichi."
He shook his head as he flashed me one of his great smiles.
"Sure," he answered.
At that, I silently sat on the motorcycle as Ryuichi positioned himself in back of me. I closed my eyes for a bit as I leaned back on him while sighing.
We weren't even moving yet and he already placed his arms firmly around my waist. I could feel his fear through his touch.
"I choose you, Ryu," I assured him as I gripped his hand for a few seconds. I laughed trying to make us both feel a little bit better. "I sound like Ash on Poketo Monsters, don't I?'
He smiled at bit in amusement, but the anxiety remained a bit longer.
I let go and we were off to my father's home.
It wasn't my home anymore.
***
When we got to the fortress, I digged my shoes firmly on the pavement wondering why the hell did such a traditional looking house stand in a city's residential area? Japan couldn't let go of tradition as with a lot of other countries.
My father was one of them: the people of the past. I was the bridge that was leading somewhere that fell in between the future and the past.
I was looking at this house as if I had never been there, and yet I lived there all my life.
I was a stranger with nowhere to go but forward.
I got off the bike with Ryuichi taking off the helmet. He leaned on the bike with his arms crossed unable to do anything.
Nodding, I went up to the gate and knocked to be let inside as if I were a wandering samurai being led into a trap.
Looking around, one of the maids led me up to the house. It wasn't my father's room she was leading me to, but to another one. The 'extra' den that we had never used, except to store things here and there. As she opened the door, my eyes opened wide as I found my father sit weakly to my left side waiting for my return.
"I didn't have to send Makoto after you. This is good." He coughed and he didn't even try to get up as they pulled away the screen with the Chinese brush strokes upon them with their black waters.
I stared in front of me as I watched Tsuki looking back at me with fearful eyes.
My hands clenched in anger. "What the hell is going on here?!"
I couldn't be formal anymore. I didn't want this anymore.
In that single moment, I finally realized that we were both taken to the extremes. A predicament that we both had not wanted to cross.
It wasn't about who was right or wrong. It wasn't about my father being so mean and me not getting any of the breaks.
It was protecting what made me happy.
And dammit! That was Ryu!!!
"You're getting married today, Tatsuha. Omedetto." Again, he coughed as he rubbed his chest. "Right now, by the way."
As my arms were being seized by Makoto, I squinted long and hard at my father. My silence said more than I could ever say to him now.
"I will not do this!" I finally shouted.
Tsuki chimed in, "I'm sorry, but I won't stand for this either."
All along, she had tried to wring free, but was unable to. Still, she tried as much as I did.
"Yes, I agree with both of them," a voice suddenly said.
Tap, tap, tap.
The shoes on the wooden floor made the tension in the air even more strenuous as I saw Touma lean with one hand on the doorway. His head was bent and I shuddered to think how he got past all the other guards in order to get her.
"Touma-san?" I mumbled.
He laughed as he answered, "You didn't think I'd just let you go so easily, would you Tatsuha-kun?"
My stomach churned at the ring he gave to my name.
This wasn't good.
Lifting up his head, he took a step in and with a slightly annoyed look, his icy tone said, "You guys were very loud, so I thought I'd crash the party."
"Seguchi-san…" my father said as he bowed his head to peer at Touma as if he were still the child that Aniki had clung onto years ago. The child that he had never reached, but Touma could love with all his heart.
He gripped onto his wooden cane in nervousness.
If there was one person to fear, that would always be Touma.
"You will not do the same thing to them as you did to me," Touma seethed through his teeth as one of the guards was ready to pounce him.
When the guard did, Touma took his arm and twisted it skillfully behind the guard and grinned devilishly at my father. "First time, your bad. Second time, my bad."
I stared at both of them in disbelief. What was happening here?
They never showed this kind of tension before…
Touma gestured for me to come to him as he pushed the guard away. "I will be taking Tatsuha and Tsuki-san, thank you."
"Are you doing this for yourself, Touma-kun?" my father laughed as he eyed Touma.
"You took Yuki away from me once before. I won't let you do that to Ryuichi." He clenched his hand so much without a quiver that he didn't even notice that he had begun to bleed.
Aniki?
Taking Tsuki-chan's hand, we walked over to Touma. Confusion was spreading in questions all over my mind.
But we weren't going to be let out so easily, were we? When we turned around to exit, the entrance was full of people, both guards and maids making a human wall. I took Tsuki into my arms as Touma lifted his head up all the way.
He had gone zero-mode.
He wasn't Touma anymore.
A demon had taken his place.
Taking one person after the other into his hands, I tried to calm him down, but he pushed me to violently to one side as my back slammed into a wall. Tsuki didn't know what to do as I saw my father fall to the ground in shock, having a hard time with breathing. His body was collapsing and now he felt the gravity along with it.
"Sachou! Sachou!!" a familiar voice called. "You must come quickly!!!"
As my back leaned weakly on the wooden wall with Tsuki trying to keep me conscious with her soft slaps and kind voice, I saw Sakano-san push through the crowd and took a hold of Touma with his hands.
"Don't do this!"
Touma's red eyes analyzed Sakano's.
"Hanase," the voice of the devil commanded. "Let go."
"This isn't you anymore Sachou!!!"
"I said let me go. I won't repeat this again."
The crowd was dispersing somewhat around us because they were fearful at what we had all done, though it had been my father's doing that put all this into motion.
"You told me to come with you if you ever became this way!"
It then dawned on me…
This strong relationship between them.
One that rivaled that of my brother, my sister, or Ryuichi…
At that moment, Sakano did the only thing he could do: He let go of Touma, turned him around, and took a hold of his arms. "Give me back my Sachou!!!"
The wind blew and when I looked at Sakano…
I knew.
I knew that look.
It was the same I gave to Ryuichi.
Only…Touma was blind to it, wasn't he?
Touma blinked at him and began to recognize him again…
I was honestly awed at Sakano's power over Touma.
The only person who could pacify him when the time came.
It was Sakano who the strongest among all of us even though he was the one who always worried and seemed like such a cry-baby at times…
Touma wasn't to be feared when he went into Zero mode.
It was Sakano, the only person he would listen to…
"Sakano-san…" I mumbled unable to convey my thoughts coherently to anyone, especially to Tsuki who was in front of me.
I was so disillusioned that I looked at Touma, Tsuki, and my father with no strength to get up. I feared that if I moved, I would break something even further.
I heard the ambulance come with the ringing loudly through my skull through both of my ears.
Only…it wasn't for my father.
Sakano shook Touma's shoulders and worriedly announced, "Ryuichi-san has gotten into an accident…"
My eyes opened widely and I was unable to process anything else that he said. And like the idiot I was for my Ryu, in a split second, I forgot about my pain.
Getting up with one hand to one side, I cringed in pain.
I looked at my father in pain as many tried to attend to him.
I looked at the entrance to where Ryuichi was being taken away.
Doki…doki…doki…
Do you pick your dying father…
Or your dying lover?
"I'm sorry…" I whispered as I closed my eyes while letting go of Tsuki's arm.
Taking one glance at my father, I pushed through Sakano and Touma. Holding my rib in pain, I felt the blood pulsating as rushed over to wherever Ryuichi was. I bit my lip at throbbing burning at my side.
I had finally cut the bonds that held my family together.
There was no more balance.
"Yes, I'll follow you to hell," I whispered as I gripped my shirt while running as fast I could not carrying what happened anymore.
Now, where is Ryuichi?
I ran even faster with that song still playing in my head almost draining me…
/Anata o mitsukete
Soshite nidoto Wasurezu
Donna ni mune ni itakutemo
Soba ni iru no.
Zutto….zutto./
Tsuzuku…
--
Author's note: I have been super stuck on what the hell to do. I don't want to make this a not-so-good ending with all the build up. * laughs * One of you said this was an addiction. I was very happy and flattered by this comment
So, I hope you can forgive me by accepting this long chapter? ^^v And do you like the suspense with all these things happening at the same time? * guilty look of trying her best to make her readers more addicted * Did that succeed? I hope it did. ^^v
Yes, I do understand that Touma and Mika have a child, but because Murakami-sama was unspecific as to whether it was a girl or a boy, I'm unable to make a reference to that character. And either way, it would still be Tatsuha who needs to bear an heir because he is the next patriarch of the family since Yuki has relinquished the role to Tatsuha. So complicated!
Can Yui finish this by Chapter 30? We'll see…
Ningyo hime is sung by Rie Tanaka.
Aching Desire
(Nagareboshi 3)
by Miyamoto Yui
Chapter 28 – It was protecting what made me happy.
My eyes averted themselves away from both of them. I was flustered on what to do though I was trying to be as calm as I could with what I had to work with. Which wasn't much if you asked me.
There _has_ to be some way.
Ryuichi interrupted my thoughts as he said, "Yes, we can."
Tsuki and both looked at the determined face that wouldn't give up. His eyes squinted as he looked right at me. This look told me, "I will not lose you ever again."
"I have to get to my father's soon," I grimly announced though I didn't need to say anything at all.
What do we do with Tsuki? If anything happens, we'll lose the child. And that's the last thing that we want happening.
At that moment, I turned to Tsuki. "The first thing I want you to do is get your stuff packed. I'm going to ask Touma-san if you can stay with them."
Tsuki nodded silently as I watched Ryuichi already getting his cell out to call Touma. He then pulled my shirt and kissed me on the cheek as he whispered, "I'll follow you to hell itself, Tatsuha. Please don't ever leave me again."
His hand trembled and then he let go as he paced around the room. "Touma, I need to ask you a favor."
Then, Ryuichi started to laugh. "You always know what I'm thinking, don't you…"
When he pressed the button to end the conversation, Tsuki came down and was ready to leave. She sat down on the couch as Ryuichi already began to spoil her by pulling out another Kumogurou from his pocket. This time, it was a plushie.
I sighed as I saw Tsuki die on the couch as Ryuichi tried his hardest to keep from smirking in satisfaction. I think he loved the fact that he could tease her.
"I'm bearing Sakuma Ryuichi's lover's child!" repeated in my mind. I shook my head and chuckled as I looked at both of them.
Pulling slightly on the curtains, we waited for Touma's driver to come and pick Tsuki up. I looked out the window in anxiety as the clock ticked away.
Sighing, I couldn't help but ponder on the next move.
I turned around and we came up with a plan.
"So, I go to Father's," I said as I leaned on the wall with my arms folded.
"I hide at Seguchi-san's place," Tsuki added with a smile.
"I'll be right outside of your residence waiting for your return. I'll be discussing ideas with Touma about doing the concert after all."
After a few hours, one of Touma's drivers came to pick Tsuki up. But it was kind of funny because she kissed me on the cheek and she didn't know how to say goodbye to Ryuichi. Instead, they did something that made them both happy.
I sighed as I saw both of them have their Kumogorou's kiss one another goodbye. Then, she hugged Ryuichi as she waved goodbye. (She was never one to just go out quietly, if you haven't noticed already.)
"Stay there until we call you back," I instructed her as I patted her shoulder as she got into the car.
"Geez Tatsuha. You told me this so many times already." She sighed as she looked up to my face while sitting down. "Trust that this will be okay. And it will, Tat-chan."
I laughed with a thoughtful smile at how warm her words were. She had never changed at all, and that suited me just fine.
Ryuichi laughed as he pushed the car door to close it for her. "Please don't wear out Touma-san," he said.
"What? Seguchi-san?" She joked as she blinked her eyes.
We sweatdropped in fear. Touma was part of Nittle Grasper…how could I have forgotten for a moment about her fangirl impulses?
As they drove away, I closed the gate behind us and looked at Ryuichi. He nodded his head and threw the helmet at me again. I blinked at him and shook my head.
Instead, I pushed it into his hands. "This time, you hold onto me, Ryuichi."
He shook his head as he flashed me one of his great smiles.
"Sure," he answered.
At that, I silently sat on the motorcycle as Ryuichi positioned himself in back of me. I closed my eyes for a bit as I leaned back on him while sighing.
We weren't even moving yet and he already placed his arms firmly around my waist. I could feel his fear through his touch.
"I choose you, Ryu," I assured him as I gripped his hand for a few seconds. I laughed trying to make us both feel a little bit better. "I sound like Ash on Poketo Monsters, don't I?'
He smiled at bit in amusement, but the anxiety remained a bit longer.
I let go and we were off to my father's home.
It wasn't my home anymore.
***
When we got to the fortress, I digged my shoes firmly on the pavement wondering why the hell did such a traditional looking house stand in a city's residential area? Japan couldn't let go of tradition as with a lot of other countries.
My father was one of them: the people of the past. I was the bridge that was leading somewhere that fell in between the future and the past.
I was looking at this house as if I had never been there, and yet I lived there all my life.
I was a stranger with nowhere to go but forward.
I got off the bike with Ryuichi taking off the helmet. He leaned on the bike with his arms crossed unable to do anything.
Nodding, I went up to the gate and knocked to be let inside as if I were a wandering samurai being led into a trap.
Looking around, one of the maids led me up to the house. It wasn't my father's room she was leading me to, but to another one. The 'extra' den that we had never used, except to store things here and there. As she opened the door, my eyes opened wide as I found my father sit weakly to my left side waiting for my return.
"I didn't have to send Makoto after you. This is good." He coughed and he didn't even try to get up as they pulled away the screen with the Chinese brush strokes upon them with their black waters.
I stared in front of me as I watched Tsuki looking back at me with fearful eyes.
My hands clenched in anger. "What the hell is going on here?!"
I couldn't be formal anymore. I didn't want this anymore.
In that single moment, I finally realized that we were both taken to the extremes. A predicament that we both had not wanted to cross.
It wasn't about who was right or wrong. It wasn't about my father being so mean and me not getting any of the breaks.
It was protecting what made me happy.
And dammit! That was Ryu!!!
"You're getting married today, Tatsuha. Omedetto." Again, he coughed as he rubbed his chest. "Right now, by the way."
As my arms were being seized by Makoto, I squinted long and hard at my father. My silence said more than I could ever say to him now.
"I will not do this!" I finally shouted.
Tsuki chimed in, "I'm sorry, but I won't stand for this either."
All along, she had tried to wring free, but was unable to. Still, she tried as much as I did.
"Yes, I agree with both of them," a voice suddenly said.
Tap, tap, tap.
The shoes on the wooden floor made the tension in the air even more strenuous as I saw Touma lean with one hand on the doorway. His head was bent and I shuddered to think how he got past all the other guards in order to get her.
"Touma-san?" I mumbled.
He laughed as he answered, "You didn't think I'd just let you go so easily, would you Tatsuha-kun?"
My stomach churned at the ring he gave to my name.
This wasn't good.
Lifting up his head, he took a step in and with a slightly annoyed look, his icy tone said, "You guys were very loud, so I thought I'd crash the party."
"Seguchi-san…" my father said as he bowed his head to peer at Touma as if he were still the child that Aniki had clung onto years ago. The child that he had never reached, but Touma could love with all his heart.
He gripped onto his wooden cane in nervousness.
If there was one person to fear, that would always be Touma.
"You will not do the same thing to them as you did to me," Touma seethed through his teeth as one of the guards was ready to pounce him.
When the guard did, Touma took his arm and twisted it skillfully behind the guard and grinned devilishly at my father. "First time, your bad. Second time, my bad."
I stared at both of them in disbelief. What was happening here?
They never showed this kind of tension before…
Touma gestured for me to come to him as he pushed the guard away. "I will be taking Tatsuha and Tsuki-san, thank you."
"Are you doing this for yourself, Touma-kun?" my father laughed as he eyed Touma.
"You took Yuki away from me once before. I won't let you do that to Ryuichi." He clenched his hand so much without a quiver that he didn't even notice that he had begun to bleed.
Aniki?
Taking Tsuki-chan's hand, we walked over to Touma. Confusion was spreading in questions all over my mind.
But we weren't going to be let out so easily, were we? When we turned around to exit, the entrance was full of people, both guards and maids making a human wall. I took Tsuki into my arms as Touma lifted his head up all the way.
He had gone zero-mode.
He wasn't Touma anymore.
A demon had taken his place.
Taking one person after the other into his hands, I tried to calm him down, but he pushed me to violently to one side as my back slammed into a wall. Tsuki didn't know what to do as I saw my father fall to the ground in shock, having a hard time with breathing. His body was collapsing and now he felt the gravity along with it.
"Sachou! Sachou!!" a familiar voice called. "You must come quickly!!!"
As my back leaned weakly on the wooden wall with Tsuki trying to keep me conscious with her soft slaps and kind voice, I saw Sakano-san push through the crowd and took a hold of Touma with his hands.
"Don't do this!"
Touma's red eyes analyzed Sakano's.
"Hanase," the voice of the devil commanded. "Let go."
"This isn't you anymore Sachou!!!"
"I said let me go. I won't repeat this again."
The crowd was dispersing somewhat around us because they were fearful at what we had all done, though it had been my father's doing that put all this into motion.
"You told me to come with you if you ever became this way!"
It then dawned on me…
This strong relationship between them.
One that rivaled that of my brother, my sister, or Ryuichi…
At that moment, Sakano did the only thing he could do: He let go of Touma, turned him around, and took a hold of his arms. "Give me back my Sachou!!!"
The wind blew and when I looked at Sakano…
I knew.
I knew that look.
It was the same I gave to Ryuichi.
Only…Touma was blind to it, wasn't he?
Touma blinked at him and began to recognize him again…
I was honestly awed at Sakano's power over Touma.
The only person who could pacify him when the time came.
It was Sakano who the strongest among all of us even though he was the one who always worried and seemed like such a cry-baby at times…
Touma wasn't to be feared when he went into Zero mode.
It was Sakano, the only person he would listen to…
"Sakano-san…" I mumbled unable to convey my thoughts coherently to anyone, especially to Tsuki who was in front of me.
I was so disillusioned that I looked at Touma, Tsuki, and my father with no strength to get up. I feared that if I moved, I would break something even further.
I heard the ambulance come with the ringing loudly through my skull through both of my ears.
Only…it wasn't for my father.
Sakano shook Touma's shoulders and worriedly announced, "Ryuichi-san has gotten into an accident…"
My eyes opened widely and I was unable to process anything else that he said. And like the idiot I was for my Ryu, in a split second, I forgot about my pain.
Getting up with one hand to one side, I cringed in pain.
I looked at my father in pain as many tried to attend to him.
I looked at the entrance to where Ryuichi was being taken away.
Doki…doki…doki…
Do you pick your dying father…
Or your dying lover?
"I'm sorry…" I whispered as I closed my eyes while letting go of Tsuki's arm.
Taking one glance at my father, I pushed through Sakano and Touma. Holding my rib in pain, I felt the blood pulsating as rushed over to wherever Ryuichi was. I bit my lip at throbbing burning at my side.
I had finally cut the bonds that held my family together.
There was no more balance.
"Yes, I'll follow you to hell," I whispered as I gripped my shirt while running as fast I could not carrying what happened anymore.
Now, where is Ryuichi?
I ran even faster with that song still playing in my head almost draining me…
/Anata o mitsukete
Soshite nidoto Wasurezu
Donna ni mune ni itakutemo
Soba ni iru no.
Zutto….zutto./
Tsuzuku…
--
Author's note: I have been super stuck on what the hell to do. I don't want to make this a not-so-good ending with all the build up. * laughs * One of you said this was an addiction. I was very happy and flattered by this comment
So, I hope you can forgive me by accepting this long chapter? ^^v And do you like the suspense with all these things happening at the same time? * guilty look of trying her best to make her readers more addicted * Did that succeed? I hope it did. ^^v
Yes, I do understand that Touma and Mika have a child, but because Murakami-sama was unspecific as to whether it was a girl or a boy, I'm unable to make a reference to that character. And either way, it would still be Tatsuha who needs to bear an heir because he is the next patriarch of the family since Yuki has relinquished the role to Tatsuha. So complicated!
Can Yui finish this by Chapter 30? We'll see…