Stepping out, don't you worry suuuuuuundaaaaaaaaayyyyy cooooomess it's your day! I love that song. Which is why I've come to bring you chapter ten. Kind of.
Tenshineko: You are almost my favorite reviewer! (No one beats out my onee-chan though.) Ehehehehe yeah Shizuka is Rui's speed or Ritalin.
Chris: I feel for you. Tsukushi is clueless.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango..................pillowcase!
Warning: Language, bitch fights, and Kaede.....(I almost peed myself when I first saw Kaede. She scared the crap out of me!) Hey and forget that sweet dreams are made of these...A slight lemon warning. **Scratches her head in confusion** all part of the humor folks...
Boys Before................The High Seas???
Chapter Ten
She felt his hands go down slowly. One hand slide back up to cup one of her breasts. He was passionately kissing her, with his tongue going in and out of her mouth. The heat their two bodies were making as their hips moved in a rhythm, made her want him to get her clothes off.
His fingers went to the buttons in back and began to undo them one by one. He started to kiss her throat, nipping a little on her tender flesh. Not enough to hurt but enough to excite her. He grew impatient and simply pulled on the sides of the nightgown and buttons popped off but she didn't care. She didn't want him to stop. Her hands desperately fought with his buttons.
He was getting his belt undone, before his pants slid off and they couldn't pause for one moment. She felt a hand slide along her thighs and leaned her head back closing her eyes, enjoying the feel. He slid her underwear off and she knew what was coming. She opened her eyes and looked into his. They were so intense and....
Tsukushi sat straight up in bed panting. OH. MY. GOD. Tsukushi was glad it was dark so no one could see her face. Doumyouji made a small noise in his sleep and she looked at him with a slightly annoyed face. She had half a mind to start beating him with a pillow. Of course he hadn't caused the dream. No it was probably one of those weird dreams were something happened but really something else was going on. Symbolism. Yeah symbolizing that you want to- DON'T FINISH THAT STATEMENT!
Tsukushi wondered if there was something wrong with her. You didn't just have dreams like that did you? It was very vivid. It almost could have been real. Why if she closed her eyes she could recall just the way his hands felt on her body....STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!!! Gah, that's just....well it's not proper!
She decided it was probably best if she just went back to sleep. She hoped with all her heart that if there were dream gods somewhere, they wouldn't send another dream like that.
* * *
"Oh no! She didn't!" Shigeru laughed over her tea. It was the afternoon after Tsukushi had her dream. She didn't tell anyone about it but she was having a hard time looking at Doumyouji. Currently though her, Shigeru, and Tsubaki were having tea. Shizuka apparently couldn't join them as she had "a pressing engagement." Right then Tsubaki was telling them all about Lord-Whoever-He-Was. Kaede had set them up to have lunch that day and Tsubaki came for tea with a huge smile on her face before she started to tell the story.
"Oh yes she did! So I went to this stupid lunch right?" Tsubaki made a disgusted face and Shigeru laughed even harder. "The guy at first sat there staring at me the whole time in a way that was less then honorable."
"I would have punched him in the face! Anyone who would dare impugn on my captain's honor has another thing coming." Shigeru exclaimed nobly.
"What a creep." Tsukushi added in.
"Then he sat there making all these lewd suggestions! So I took my wine glass and poured it over his head!" Tsubaki started laughing. "His face went totally red and then I told him that if he wanted to make those suggestions again, I was going to go get my brother. Right then Tsukasa walks by and he asks me if everything is alright and then I tell him it is. It looked almost planned. I don't think that guy will be back. He was practically running for the door!"
"That's great!" Tsukushi told Tsubaki. Shigeru was clutching her stomach while laughing.
"That sounds like our brave captain!" Shigeru nodded her head appreciatively.
"Is there anyone you do want to get married to?" Tsukushi asked once the laughter had subsided. She realized how much she had missed female conversation while being aboard the Hana. Tsubaki's eyes seemed to twinkle.
"Hmmm...yes." Tsubaki nodded looking off into the distance.
"Who?" Tsukushi asked.
"No way, I cannot say. My mother does have spies everywhere. If my parents found out who I wanted to marry they'd probably lock me in a tower for the rest of my life." Tsubaki joked. Shigeru laughed a little as if she knew the real answer to this question.
"What about you Tsukushi? I saw Tsukasa leaving your room this morning." Shigeru's suggestive grin made Tsukushi think of her dream which made her go red in the face.
"Um...well....he's just not used to sleeping by himself." Tsukushi felt like it was a lie. The tone she used was the one she usually used when she lied. Tsubaki and Shigeru shared a knowing glance. "What?"
"Oh nothing." Tsubaki's tone hinted that there was something but she was not going to tell.
"Shhhh. I think I hear someone." Shigeru went over to the tall hedges that towered about ten feet in the air. Shigeru suddenly shoved her hands through and tossed two people out. She reached one more time and pulled out one more person.
"We were just walking!" Akira protested, trying to pull leaves and twigs from his long hair.
"If crazy Monkey Girl hadn't pulled us through those hedges..." Soujirou pulled a twig off his shoulder.
"Shigeru! Don't do that again!" Doumyouji's voice made Tsukushi's eyes go wide before looking at him. His eyes were different from the dream but she could still see them...Why did I have to dream that?
Tsukushi knew she was blushing but she started laughing at the three boys in a state of disarray. "Shigeru, master spy catcher!" She joked.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Shigeru bowed and Tsubaki and Tsukushi clapped.
"I didn't know you wanted to marry someone, Tsubaki." Doumyouji said curiously.
"Ah, just passing through eh?" Tsubaki quirked an eyebrow at him. "An innocent stroll by ladies' afternoon tea?"
Doumyouji flicked a twig at his sister. "We were walking by." Tsubaki could not take this latest insult. She grabbed a handful of grass and went over, suddenly rubbing the handful into his head. They all started laughing and Doumyouji grabbed a handful of grass, stuffing it down the back of Tsubaki's dress. Shigeru grabbed a handful of grass.
"For the captain!" Shigeru shoved the grass down Doumyouji's shirt. Akira and Soujirou joined in for Doumyouji's sake. There was grass flying. Tsukushi started to join in. It was like wrestling while trying to get as much grass on the others as possible. They were all laughing.
A voice froze them in their tracks. "I seemed to have walked in on a group of peasants." Doumyouji was in the middle of trying to stuff grass down Tsukushi's shirt while she was trying to fight back. They had frozen which caused their treacherous balance to lose itself and they fell over. Tsubaki's white dress was covered in grass stains. Shigeru had Soujirou in a headlock and was rubbing grass in his hair. Akira looked as though he was about to spring on Shigeru and rescue his friend. Kaede however did not look one bit amused. Her face had hardened when she spotted Tsukushi.
"Hello mother." Tsubaki finally broke the silence that had settled over the group.
"Let me guess, this girl," Kaede spat the words showing exactly who she was talking about. "Had you all acting like a bunch of pigs?"
Tsukushi got up, still holding a handful of grass. "We were only having fun."
"Fun?" Kaede raised an eyebrow.
"Mother-" Tsubaki was cut off by Kaede.
"Still your mouth Tsubaki! You already have a lot of explaining to do about Lord Heyatsu!" Kaede barked.
"Tsubaki shouldn't have to explain!" Shigeru leapt to her feet in Tsubaki's defense.
"Ah yes, Shigeru, your mother and I have something to talk to you about after this. You and Tsukasa have been stalling long enough. You will be married this year." Kaede focused her eyes on Tsukushi, searching for some sort of weakness.
"I won't!" Doumyouji jumped to his feet. "Father said-"
"Tsukasa, there are things in life that your expected of. You will get married to Shigeru whether you like it or not." Kaede's cool anger spoke for itself. She did not want her kids rebelling against her. She wanted the control.
"Kaede!" They were all surprised to hear Tsubaki call her mother by her name. "If you think for one moment that you can control all of us then you are sorely mistaken. I want to sail around the world, so if you don't like that, then you can just pretend I died. That should please you!"
"Tsubaki! How dare you speak to me like that." Kaede's eyes were pure fury. "Obviously Shigeru's behavior has effected you. For now on, you two will not speak to each other."
"No!" Shigeru sounded like a wounded dog. "Tsubaki is my best friend!"
"Mother, your hardly being fair." Doumyouji said although Tsukushi recognized that look in his eyes. He wanted to at least hurt his mother.
"Perhaps, this peasant is also effecting your behavior Doumyouji. Bad influences should be nipped in the bud. Girl, go to your chambers. Stay there unless I come and send for you myself." Kaede ordered. Tsukushi looked at the others, their faces, only a few minutes ago full of laughter looked as if their was suddenly no sun in the sky.
Tsukushi walked over to Kaede unsure what she was going to do. "You've done a great job of ruining everything. However, I have a name, it's Tsukushi." Tsukushi began. "I would appreciate if you would stop referring to me as 'peasant' or 'girl.' Or I will refer to you as dog."
"Are you trying to threaten me?" Kaede asked her, eyes glittering mercilessly.
"No. I'm trying to do this." Tsukushi reached up and rubbed the grass in Kaede's hair. Kaede glared at her as Tsukushi started to walk away from the group. Sending me to my room? I'll give her peasant.
"Tsukushi!" Doumyouji called after and began running towards her.
"Don't even think about it Tsukasa." The cold reply made him stop dead in his tracks. "You are coming with me. We are going to have tea with Shigeru and her mother." Doumyouji turned and glared at his mother.
"I told you not to call me that." That was all he said before going after Tsukushi.
"I don't want tea!" Shigeru stamped her foot like a disobedient child. Which was how Kaede viewed her.
"Your mother commanded your presence." Kaede told her. Shigeru hung her head and stood there with shoulders slumped. "Tsubaki, the Lord Heyatsu is waiting for your apology in the eastern sitting room. Come Shigeru." Shigeru followed the woman, turning around and looking at the others, but not saying a word.
* * *
"Maybe this is foolish. Maybe I should go back to my village. I'm sure I could find a way home." Tsukushi told herself outloud after she had walked away from Kaede.
"You could, but I wouldn't let you." Doumyouji whispered fiercely in her ear. Tsukushi turned and saw him in surprise. He followed her all the way to her room.
"You think you can stop me?" Tsukushi teased him as she walked inside her room. "I guess I'll stay in here. If it means I won't see Kaede, I think I'll live." She sat down on her bed. Doumyouji sat down next to her. He looked a little weird she decided. Something about his expression.
"Tsukushi?" Doumyouji's questioning voice made her turn her head.
"Hmm?" Tsukushi prompted him, he looked like he wanted to go on. He leaned towards her a little bit.
"Do you really want to go back to your village?" Doumyouji asked her. Tsukushi's eyes widened.
"I-I don't know. It all seemed so much simpler at home. I miss Yuuki...." Tsukushi had been holding in some of her thoughts about home. "She probably thinks I'm dead."
"If you want to go, then don't feel like you have to stay." There was so much pain in Doumyouji's voice. Tsukushi studied his face. His eyes were full of something she hadn't seen before. Loss. Regret. "If you take it, there won't be any left when you come back." He was practically whispering those words. Tsukushi gasped. It was him! We met so long ago....
"I thought you said you'd take me across the sea and wherever else I wanted to go." Tsukushi had said it an attempt to get Doumyouji to smile. He turned to her with wide eyes. In a moment though Doumyouji had his arms around her.
"You remember..." Doumyouji whispered. Tsukushi got the feeling that he did not want to let go. He broke away from her.
"Isn't it weird we met as kids?" Tsukushi laughed a little. Doumyouji's face was serious though. A hand slid up the side of her face. Tsukushi felt thought she was breathing a little harder for some reason. His eyes...his eyes...."Doumyouji..."
"If you do want to leave...I have something I want to tell you..." Doumyouji licked his lips before his hand went down to her chin, tilting it towards him. Tsukushi remembered the day on the ship when she had forgiven him. His face was so close just like that day. She was studying his eyes trying to understand what he was telling her. That's when it happened. All at once, Doumyouji bent down and his lips gentle pressed against hers. Her mind froze. She wasn't sure if she should push away or keep still or what. She did nothing but closed her eyes. All she could feel was his lips on hers. It wasn't the bruising harsh kiss he had given her while berserk. It was a genuine kiss. He ended it though.
"D-Doumyouji..." Tsukushi managed to get out. It was hard, trying to think with his eyes searching for an answer in her.
"I love you." Tsukushi felt as though the world had stopped spinning, the moment just stayed there. Doumyouji's feelings had just been bared. Tsukushi wasn't sure what to do. She was so confused.
"Doum....youji..." It was all she could say, all her emotions seemed to be swirling inside of her.
"I understand if you...if you don't feel the same way. But don't leave without thinking about what I've said." Doumyouji told her. His dark eyes still wanted an answer.
"I-I don't know how-" Tsukushi began Doumyouji cut her off.
"Don't worry so much." Doumyouji's eyes radiated some warmth that she had never seen before. "If you need me, I'll be in my room until bedtime." Tsukushi watched him go. She still hadn't said really anything in reply.
He loves me....just like they all said. How come I couldn't tell? How do I feel? I wish I wasn't so confused...
Tsukushi sat there staring out the window. She could see the sea. I think I prefer the sea to my village....the sea is unpredictable but it's always there to welcome you...
* * *
Tsukushi woke up that night with a start. Doumyouji was sleeping next to her. She pretended she didn't feel a slight tension as he got under the covers. Something had woken her up though. She looked around the room and there spotted a man. She saw a slight flash of something.
It dawned on her that it was a knife. At first thought, she had an idea that it might be Sakurako. It wasn't though. Too tall and too broad-shouldered. She grabbed Doumyouji's arm.
"Doumyouji!" She almost screamed the name in fear. Doumyouji's eyes opened and it took him only a moment to see the man before pouncing on the man. Doumyouji had the knife in his hand in an instant.
"Who sent you? Kaede?" Doumyouji asked him, holding the knife to the man's throat. The man nodded frantically. Doumyouji practically carried the man to the door before throwing his out. Tsukushi wasn't sure that Doumyouji wasn't going to kill the man.
"Doumyouji, that was an assassin?" Tsukushi asked him. Doumyouji looked down at her.
"Tsukushi...if I go...try to calm me." Doumyouji sounded angry although she knew it wasn't directed towards her. Does he mean...?
"What's going on out here?" Shigeru left her room which was down the hall. "An assassin?" Shigeru slammed her door shut, it was very loud and before they knew it there were more people out in the hall. Shizuka and Rui had tumbled out of Shizuka's room. Tsubaki came running down the hall. Shigeru ran and got Soujirou and Akira.
"No! How could she?" Tsubaki looked like she was going to start crying which surprised Tsukushi. Tsubaki did not look like the type of person who would cry. "Why?"
"Good thing Tsukasa was there..." Shigeru nodded her head at Doumyouji.
"Don't call me that." Doumyouji's voice sounded almost like a growl. He's going to go berserk if he's provoked anymore. I hope he calms down.
"Why are there people causing such a commotion in my house?" Kaede's voice made Tsukushi wince.
"Mother! How dare you try to kill Tsukushi!" Tsubaki looked like she might kill her mother herself.
"What are you talking about?" Kaede raised her eyebrows at them daring the challenge.
"The assassin said he was from you!" Tsukushi tried to keep the anger out of her own voice. She needed to be calm. Who knows what Doumyouji might do this time...
"How do you know it was really me?" Kaede turned around as if she was heading back to her own rooms. She turned her head slightly. "Besides, what difference does that little whore make?" Everyone's eyes widened. There was silence before it was broken with a growl. Tsukushi turned to Doumyouji whose eyes had gone all bloodshot. He was going to kill Kaede. They could all tell.
Doumyouji ran, smashing into Kaede with his full weight. She slammed into a wall. She turned around, her nose bleeding. Doumyouji was about to spring again. Soujirou and Akira jumped on him, trying to keep him from doing it. They were having too much trouble holding him. Rui joined in with Shizuka. Tsubaki and Shigeru had to join in because they still couldn't hold him. Tsukushi tried to help but they were still having trouble...
"You must learn to control that! You'll end up like your father." Kaede told him, wiping the blood from her nose, as if she was doing nothing. "Tsukasa, all this trouble over a peasant?"
"Lady Kaede, I have half a mind to let him go and let him kill you! But your not worth it. Get out of here." Akira told her, his voice for once sounding serious. Kaede gave them one last disgusted look before walking off. Doumyouji seemed determined to reach Kaede and kill her.
"What the hell do we do?" Soujirou grunted to the others.
"He said if he went...I had to calm him." Tsukushi frowned slightly. "I don't know what to do!"
"Do anything!" Shigeru called out. That reminded Tsukushi of something Shigeru once told her. Sensitive ears huh? Tsukushi summoned all of her courage before going in front of Doumyouji and latching her mouth on to one of his ears. The result was instantaneous. Doumyouji's whole body seemed to seize up. She let go but right as she did, he started growling again.
"Well it was worth a try." Tsukushi muttered. Doumyouji now seemed rather interested in her, since she was standing right in front of him. What do I do?
"I have an idea. Everyone let go of Doumyouji." Rui instructed him. Everyone stopped to look at him as if he was crazy. Unfortunately that pause gave Doumyouji the break he needed to get free. He scrambled towards Tsukushi. She pressed her back to the wall wondering what he was going to do.
He began to sniff her. There was no other word for it. His nose seemed to be looking for something. He found the wound on her neck and seemed very interested in that. She winced as she felt his tongue run itself over the pretty much healed wound. There was definitely going to be a scar though. Then suddenly, Doumyouji's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground. Rui was holding a vase behind him so it was obvious what happened.
"That was your plan?" Akira asked sounded a little skeptical.
"It worked." Rui pointed out.
"Of course it did. Now how do we get Doumyouji back to...Tsukushi's room?" Shizuka asked them.
"We can't move him." Tsubaki told her. "Remember?"
"Oh that's right." Shizuka snapped her fingers in recognition.
Tsukushi looked down at him unsurely. "I feel bad just leaving him here."
"The servants will all talk about it if they find him in the middle of the hallway." Tsubaki agreed.
"We can't move him, if he wakes..." Rui left the unspoken warning waver in their thoughts.
"But maybe since there's so many of us, we can do it without waking him." Shigeru said sounding a little excited. The others looked at her and then looked at the knocked out Doumyouji.
"Can't we at least try? I mean, if something goes wrong well, Rui can knock him out again." Tsubaki pointed out to the others. "Although, Rui, I have to ask, why did you let him go first?"
"When he goes berserk, he relies on his basic animal instincts." Rui explained. Akira and Soujirou nodded in agreement behind him.
"But he could have run after Kaede though." Tsubaki pursed her lips slightly. "Not that I blame him. It would be like if she....she wouldn't though."
"Yes, but he bit Tsukushi on the neck. That's how I knew he wasn't going to go for his mother." Rui folded his arms and looked very wise right then.
"Um, Akira?" Soujirou broke the silence that followed Rui's statement. "Remember the, erm, particular bet we made at the welcome home ball?" Akira looked a little ticked off before taking money out of his pocket and handing it to Soujirou.
"You two are so...unbelievable!" Tsukushi put her hands on her hips. "And well, damn I'm sick of this whole neck biting thing being a secret! Someone is going to tell me or I'll kick Doumyouji awake and ask him myself." From the expression on her face, she hoped the others thought she was serious.
Tsubaki coughed and studied the floor. Rui, Soujirou, and Akira all occupied themselves with straightening their pajamas. Tsukushi made in an irritated noise before leaning her foot back to show she was going to kick Doumyouji's sleeping body. Tsubaki spoke up first. "Well...it's just that....when a berserker bites someone on the neck, it means that they want to mate with them." Tsukushi's face turned bright red. That's how everyone knew? ARGHHHHHH!!!
"Should we try to pick him up or not? Maybe there is enough of us." Soujirou changed the subject.
"Okay, but Tsukushi, get that vase. We need Rui to help." Tsubaki told her. She grabbed the vase as Shizuka, Soujirou, Akira, Rui, Tsubaki, and Shigeru all picked up Doumyouji. They had some trouble getting up the stairs but Doumyouji did not wake up. It was all very lucky for them. They put him in Tsukushi's bed and shut the door very quietly. Tsukushi caught sight of herself in the mirror.
Why...this mark...it means that Doumyouji has been holding in his feelings for a long time. How long has he loved me? Could it be ever since we were little or what?
Tsukushi turned out the lamp before creeping into bed. She hoped Doumyouji felt better when he woke up.
* * *
o.0---------Looked I'm mildly surprised/alarmed.
Will Tsukushi tell Doumyouji that she knows about the bite mark? Will Doumyouji be excited? Will Doumyouji ever get to kill his mom? Will Kaede die? Will I cheer? Will Tsubaki ever reveal who she wants to marry? Who could be that bad that her parents would lock her up? Will Shigeru and Doumyouji get married? What does this mean for Tsukushi? Will Tsukushi stop being an idiot cause we all know who she wants? Or will she drive us insane, much like the series? Will we find out exactly what Soujirou and Akira made a bet over? Will it be something stupid? Will someone outlaw gambling before Akira goes broke? Will Tsukushi get to slap Kaede? Will she rub more grass in her hair? Will Tsubaki still get to be on the pirate ship? Or will she have to marry someone? Will she be upset? Will Doumyouji's Dad ever come into the story? What has he been up to exactly? Not to mention Makiko! Stay tuned!