Nijuusei

Chapter 12: Mornings with Kokuei

By Kaen

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Can you believe it? I've got 105 reviews! I'm so happy! I'm also starting to get back a few of those of you I lost over my period of incredible laziness. ^^& I'm so sorry! I'm feeling the pain, too, though… Since then, I haven't heard from at least four of my previously loyal fans. T_T Where are you all? Come back! I still need you! … Ahem… Yes, the new chapter. Do read it, please.

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"You're not going to sleep with me tonight?"

Yui cringed, doing her best to comprehend the question as something completely innocent. After all, the whiny, child-like voice was enough to convince anyone that that was all it was. She sighed and turned back towards the living room where Kokuei perched on a sofa, peering over the top with little more than his wide puppy-eyes visible. They shimmered hopefully, amplified by the dimmer lighting of the evening. Directly below his right eye, however, a wide smudge of ash adorned his cheek. It was all that remained of the first attempt at dinner, where Yui had learned that three-foot flames were capable of shooting out of an eight-inch frying pan. She had found the little smear unthinkably adorable, so she had taken the liberty of not telling him that it was there and had snickered throughout all of dinner, which had consisted of simple microwavable foods.

"I'm going to have a busy day tomorrow, Kokuei," she explained, desperately trying to counter the guilt trip with one of her own as she pouting herself. "I can't stay up late tonight."

He looked hurt as he shrunk behind the sofa, hiding everything but his hands that were holding on to the back of the sofa and a golden-brown tuft of hair.

"You're not going to sleep here?" After a few seconds, the idea seemed to have settled itself in his mind. He straightened back up, providing Yui with a full view of his face, still down-turned in disappointment.  They remained like that for a fair amount of time, both struggling for a lead over the other's pitiful facade. Finally, Kokuei looked away, sighing.

"Fine…" he breathed out, his shoulders slumping with the involuntary consent. His eyes looked away again as his lower lip trembled, and Yui made the mistake of feeling pity for him for just one brief and shining moment. But in the moment, she had already crossed the small room and had placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Unfortunately for her, from her position, Yui couldn't see the little smirk that had formed upon Kokuei's lips. Seizing the opportunity by seizing Yui's hand, he succeeded in pulling her off her feet and onto the sofa contraption. She fell directly on top of him and Kokuei wasted no time in wrapping his arms tightly around her, causing a startled cry to come from Yui.

"Fine, you can go to your own room, but just for tonight," he said somewhat seductively into the hollow of her shoulder, since it was after all directly in front of him.

Yui felt her heart rate leap as she was pressed to Kokuei, literally lying on top of him. Not to mention the sultry words that had made the fine hairs on the back of her neck prickle as the warm breath cascaded over the sensitive skin. Her arms, pressed palm-down onto the cushion beneath them, began to quiver slightly under her own weight as she kept some of her heaviness off of him. The entire situation was causing all of her willpower to gradually slip away. When she felt like she was just about to give in to his pleads to sleep on the sofa beside him, he broke the compromising silence with a question that made Yui's heart race more rapidly, but out of nervousness rather than intimacy.

"So, you're going out tomorrow? Is it with a… friend?" he asked, sounding almost cautious; as if he were afraid of the answer.

Yui couldn't see his face, but immediately understood his concern when the firm embrace began to weaken around her. Kokuei, how could I ever tell you? How would you even understand? It's not every day that someone says to their roommate and friend, "Hi, I'm going to go out with your twin brother that you never knew existed. Hope you don't mind!" Yeah, that would go over great. But what to say…?

"Yes, just a friend," She had tried to sound convincing, but her voice had wavered on the word "just" and she knew that I was a lost cause. Kokuei remained uncharacteristically silent and Yui had hoped and had been almost convinced that he had dropped the subject, but her desperate wish was squashed by only five words.

"Your friend's name is Hiashi?"

"No!" she jumped, shifting her weight to be more balanced on her knees since Kokuei's grip had been weakening and eventually totally detached. "His name isn't 'Hiashi!' Where did you get that idea, Kokuei! His name is… um, 'Ashi!' You know, 'Hi, Ashi!'"

"'Hi, Ashi,'" he repeated slowly, seeming somehow unconvinced. He raised an eyebrow in skepticism and Yui laughed nervously. "Um… Yui, doesn't 'Ashi' mean 'leg' or 'evil'? Ashi, the evil leg…?" He bit his lip, his brow creasing in some emotion of incredulousness.

"He has cruel parents?" She reasoned, knowing that she was loosing the battle and wondering why in the world Kokuei of all people knew what "Ashi" literally meant.  But the thought in itself along with Kokuei's comical expression was really quite entertaining and Yui found herself chuckling at the strange revelation. Soon, Kokuei was laughing along with her and the previous solemn conversation seemed to have been long forgotten. Taking the moment of lightened atmosphere to her advantage, Yui pushed herself up off Kokuei, crawled off of the couch-bed, and stealthily made her way to her bedroom, one tiny step at a time. However, these actions appeared to have jarred Kokuei out of his little state of humor and he sat up, looking at her with large, watery eyes.

"You're leaving me now?" he half-asked, half-whined. Yui cringed for the second time in that evening and turned around to face him. She crossed her arms defensively, her face set in a mock-scowl. When she discovered that it did nothing to soften Kokuei's stubborn resolve, she lowered her arms and stepped over to the sofa.

Leaning down until her lips were almost touching his ear, she whispered, "Unless you have something else you'd like to try to seduce me…"

He yelped and scooted away from her, crouching in a little ball on the opposite end of the couch. "Who said anything about s-seduction?!" he stuttered, string wide-eyes at Yui. She kept up with her game though and leaned over the arm of the sofa, way over the arm of the sofa. She watched his view sink from her face to her chest, but did nothing to stop him. After all, it was just part of the game, and she was wearing a high-necked shirt, so… She smirked, but for some reason, Kokuei didn't catch it…

Continuing on in the same voice, Yui said just barely above a whisper, "That was what you were trying to do earlier, wasn't it…?"

He blinked rapidly, tearing his gave away and flopped back onto the sofas. In th process, his clamped shut his mouth that had been hanging open a little.

"No-ooo…" he argued, whining again. Even despite his lame retort, the bright red blush marred his cheekbones and nose, forming a near perfect arch.

"Kokuei…" Yui moved until she was practically over him, but he looked away in embarrassment. "Kokuei," she said again, grasping his jaw in her hand and forcing him to look at her. "Kokuei, I'm just joking."

He started, opening his mouth in protest of her cruel playing (in his opinion), but could do nothing but let his mouth hang open in disbelief like that as no words of counter came to mind. Yui giggled when she saw his expression, which offended him even more. She shook head, and then she leaned her face in close to Kokuei's, planting a soft kiss on the side of his face. He felt the warm, gentle sensation caress his cheek, making his eyes widen in surprise and disbelief. But as soon as it had begun, it ended as Yui pulled away and ran her hand over the area.

"Good night, Kokuei," she said, smiling sweetly. Without looking back again, she turned away from him, walked the short distance to her room, and closed the door behind her with a soft click. Kokuei watched her leave, his mind forming no coherent thought as his hand cupped the side of his face where Yui had made the seemingly insignificant gesture.

His midnight blue eyes glazed over in a mix of bliss and confusion, and so he said the only thing he could think of to bring himself out of the unfamiliar territory of emotions: "Good… night?"

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Ring… Ring… Ring…

"Ugh…"

A hand found its way from underneath blankets, landing on the flat surface of the nightstand and fumbling for the imposing object that had disturbed the hands owner from its peaceful sleep. It succeeded in slamming down on the phone and gripping it tightly as the arm was retracted and the phone was raised to Yui's ear.

Ri-

"…Hello…?" she answered the phone drowsily, having been woken up by it not but seconds ago.

"Yui! This is Hiashi again… I didn't wake you up, did I?" he said, adding the last sentence as almost an afterthought.

Yui glanced at the digital clock that brightly illuminated the numbers 8:22 A.M.

"I needed to get up anyway!" she reassured him, sounding a little too energetic for the morning. She shrugged- it was forced enthusiasm anyway, so who cared is it didn't sound too terribly sincere? "So, what's up?"

"I was just calling to see what time you'd like to get going today. I was kind of hoping that we'd be able to spend the day together, but if you're busy or anything-"

"I'm free the entire day! Don't worry about it," Yui chirped, a brief flashback of Kokuei setting the cooking oil-saturated pan on fire entering her mind. She shrugged it off; it was too early for such thoughts. 

"Really? Great! It's been really stressful here at home, so I'd really like to get out and do something fun to get my mind off of it for a while. I'm so happy you're going to come with me that you wouldn't believe it!"

"Mm-hmm, I'm happy to be going, too, but right now I need to get ready to go out. I guess I'll meet you in the apartment lobby at… say, 10:00?" That ought to be enough time to explain certain things you don't do to Kokuei, and also enough time to get a shower and make myself look nice, she thought silently to herself.

"10:00's fine! I'll see you then?"

"Yep, see you then. Bye for now!" she offered as a conversation closer, which Hiashi accepted.

"All right. Bye!"

There was a click form the other end of the line that signified that Hiashi had hung up so Yui grudgingly put the phone back in its cradle and sat up in bed. Stretching her arms above her head and emitting a soft, sleepy groan, she began to plan what she would wear on her "first date" Hiashi. And while I'm at it, what should I teach Kokuei before I go? She paused in her thoughts. That one's a little more difficult, especially after that cooking incident…

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"Su-Kokuei!" Yui called into the living room as she passed by, hoping to rouse her friend in order to tell him of her plans and barely catching herself in time from calling the wrong name.

The morning was taking its toll, as even appropriate names beyond her reach. She hung her head miserably as she fought with the jacket sleeve, finding it difficult to get her arm inside the tangles mass. She growled at it, but abruptly stopped. She felt as though someone was watching her… Turning slowly to the living room again, she met the familiar sight of two large midnight blue eyes, wide, curious, and staring directly at her.

"Good morning," she said awkwardly, gazing at the precarious sight of Kokuei tousled honey-brown hair obscuring his eyes. The sofa covered the rest of his face, and as it was the night before, one could only see the pair of curious, inquisitive orbs. Several second passed and nothing more happened than Yui staring at Kokuei, and him staring directly back.

"You sleep in late," Kokuei commented, shattering the thick silence.

He rolled his back as he straightened it, stretching his arms in the opposite direction and sticking out his flat chest. Which is when Yui noticed…

"You don't have a shirt on!" she remarked, her eyes widening at the shock.

He looked at her curiously once again, then looked down at himself, and back at her.

"So I don't,"

"Kokuei, I thought we got you pajamas yesterday!" she argued, annoyed at his carelessness.

It wasn't that she was complaining that he didn't have a shirt on, but rather the fact that he had one for that exact purpose and deliberately chose not to wear it. He pouted, sitting back on the sofa's comfortable cushions.

"But I can't wear clothes like that to sleep in!" he replied, gesturing towards the neat pile of clothes on the floor. There sat a gray tee shirt and a pair of… pants? She looked to Kokuei peculiarly, lowering her gaze to the clothing adorning the lower part of his body. Yui sighed, running a hand through her shoulder-length hair.

"You don't need to sleep in your boxers, Kokuei. We got you pajamas for the purpose of you sleeping in them, so you shouldn't put them away when you go to bed!" she explained, watching his face take on the expression of one who has might just have been told that it was all right to walk down the street completely naked.

"But…" Kokuei protested weakly.

"No 'but's! Now I guess it's too late to have you put on you pajamas, but I would appreciate it if you'd get dressed. We need to talk about something when you're done, all right?"

"Okay!" he agreed, practically leaping off of the small couches.

He immediately dove for the tidy stack of clothing in the corner of the room by the television, sifting through them with an expression of content on his face. Meanwhile, Yui watched him and was lost in her own secret thoughts. So, he doesn't like the idea of sleeping in clothes, ne? That's fine with me! Well, except for the fact that he really should sleep in pajamas… But still! I'm not going to complain! He just can't know that I have no objections…She laughed softly to herself, biting her tongue to keep form giggling too loud. When Kokuei was just about finished picking an outfit, the shrill sound of the phone pierced the comfortable quiet.

"Oi… I'll be right back," Yui announced as she dashed into her bedroom to answer the phone. She picked up the phone out of it's cradle for the second time that morning and answered, "Hello?" as she was sitting down on the bed.

"Hey, Yui! This is Hiashi again. I just wanted to say that I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"Oh, hi! Sure, that's sounds great!" Yui turned her back to the doorway, mentally cursing herself for forgetting to close the door behind her. "Um… So, where are you now?"

"I'm outside of your apartment complex. I'm using the payphone by the building, because I don't now how to get inside…"

"I see. Well, I'll be right down then! See you in a few minutes!" she offered as her farewell and hung up the phone before he could protest. She knew it was kind of rude to do such a thing, and she normally wouldn't of, except for the fact the Kokuei was standing in the doorway, looking rather perplexed.

"I need to go now," Yui stated flatly, leaving no room for protest.

Kokuei nodded slowly, showing that he understood and stepped away from the door as Yui pushed herself off of the bed and exited the small room. He watched silently as she gazed into the small mirror suspended on the wall while doing a last-minute check up, he supposed. When Yui seemed satisfied, she turned back to Kokuei.

"Don't play with the stove, don't put anything in the microwave, leave the blender alone, and for god's sake, don't touch the cooking oil!" she ordered, staring him down as to press in each and every word.

He swallowed nervously and nodded.

"Do you understand?" she asked, reinforcing her point again.

He nodded again, his hands trembling slightly at his sides.

"Good," Yui declared, walking off towards the door to the hall. She sighed, and on a more civil note, turned around and said, "You might get bored here alone; I'm really sorry that you need to stay, but it's just that it would be kind of… well…"

"Unpleasant?" Kokuei offered, scowling at the floor.

"No! It would just be uncomfortable, you see? My friend doesn't know you, and it would be strange to bring along a complete stranger to him. You see?"

"Yeah. So, when will you be back?" he questioned, changing the subject.

"Uh, probably between five and six, I'm guessing. But there are some things to do around here, as well! There's the television," she explained, pointing to the TV in the corner. "And I also have tons of books and magazines around if you'd like to read them! Anyway, I really need to go now; my friend's waiting for me!"

Kokuei seemed as though he was about to say something, but quickly cut himself off. He instead settled for raising his eyes, smiling, and saying: "I hope you have a good time, Yui. Just… be careful, all right?"

"You know I will be! I'll see you later, okay?" she replied, but before Kokuei could even answer, she was already out the door.

Yui never turned to listen to his response, or see the forced smile fade from his face. The door clicked shut and he was left alone, with nothing to do except eye the pile of college textbooks in the entryway. A look of deep thought fell upon his face, as if he were fighting an inner battle. He stood there silently for several seconds in this introspective state, until he heard the maids' cart rattle by. Finally, he sighed loudly and plopped down cross-legged next top the stack, grabbed the closest book, opened it in his lap, and proceeded to flip through it, pausing on occasion to look at a picture of interest, a picture with a caption that he couldn't read.

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*sweatdrops* Okay, so I lied… I'm sorry! I swear that this thing is writing itself! This was supposed to be the date chapter, but now… I promise I'll get to it in the next chapter! It'll be an entire chapter dedicated to Hiashi and Yui, instead of just half of one like this one was supposed to be.

Anyway, congratulations Beach Fradis on hitting the one-hundredth review! I honestly can't think of a person that deserves it more than the person who gave me the one lone review for chapter one that kept this story going. I can't say what the reward is yet, but I'll just say that it's a work in progress. Please expect in a week or less!

Finally, I'm just going to beg you all to review just like I always do, so… Please review! I still love you! I still need you! I adore every kind review that I've ever gotten! And thank you all for staying with this story as long as you have!

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