Disclaimer:
I don't own FoR or any of its characters. However, the lot of the Kirisawa family (save for Ganko and Fuuko) is of my creation. Any similarities with people, real or imaginary, are unintentional. The songs used herein are also not mine. I didn't profit from them. They're just used in the spirit of fun.
A/N:
Again, thanks are due to Ranka who's the beta-reader of this fic. =)
Umm, to those who commented that the number of OCs in this fic confuses them, don't worry! It's confusing me too! =) Well, I guess the only key persons here are Shoji (Fuuko's elder bro), Miko (Fuuko's cousin who I modeled after Johnny Bravo), Yuri (Miko's elder brother aka the responsible one), Ruriko (Yuri's girlfriend), Nana/Eri (the Kirisawa matriarch/Fuuko's grandmom), and Raye (Fuuko's mom). Just the read the rest in passing.
Anyway, to anime-luverjc, I'm looking for the angst-y bits myself. This was originally meant to be of the angst genre but it has a life of its own sigh So I'm changing its category. Hope it'll do in a romance-humor (I'm very hesitant to label it as a humor fic 'cause people might ask me where's the humor in this thing ^^;; eep!).
Thanks to the reviewers. I appreciate each and every one of it!
And to show you that I don't have a life whatsoever, receiving a review is actually the highlight of my day. Yey!
Don't forget to hit the review button once you're done! Thank you, come again!
KindredChapter 4: Wet and Wild Wednesday
At five o'clock in the morning, Mikagami woke up to the rhythmic pounding of raindrops outside. The light drizzle the night before had turned into hard rain. Good thing they slept inside instead of in their tents. It would have been quite an experience.
He stretched before getting up but his feet bumped into the sofa where Miko was sleeping. The sofa wobbled a bit, but Miko simply mumbled something about hot ladies in bikinis and turned in his sleep.
The Kirisawa living room had turned into the men's evacuation center. It was fairly large but fitting six grown men in it were quite a challenge. On the other hand, it beats sleeping in the attic, where Kaoru and his new pals are.
Mikagami stood up and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. To his immense surprise, he heard soft female voices emanating from it. The Kirisawa women (with one apparent exception) were definitely early risers.
"Good morning, Mikagami-san," Sakura, a woman in her late thirties, greeted him. From what Mikagami can remember, she was the wife of Fuuko's dad's twin brother.
Mikagami murmured his good morning.
"We've been up since four," Hikari, the wife of Eri's youngest son, informed him. "We went to the market, the fresh fish are always best during that time," indicating the bags of fish and sea food on the counter.
Rika wrinkled her nose. "But the prices were already sky-high because of the rain,"
"But we got good fish," Hikari argued as she held out a knife.
"I told you to ask the vendor to clean the fish for us," Hakone, Ken's wife, said with a grimace, not liking the idea of touching the fish's guts.
"I know, but I didn't like the way the man in the next stall was looking at us," Sakura replied.
"We're not as young as we used to be, but we can still attract young men." Hakone joked with a wink.
The women laughed at that.
"Now what would we do?" Rika sighed.
"Let me," Mikagami offered as he took the knife from Hikari. With the same precision and agility that he had with the ensui, Mikagami cut the fish efficiently and effortlessly.
"Wow," the ladies clapped.
Mikagami quickly disposed of the pile of fish in front of him.
"I told Fuuko that she brought home a gem," Rika laughed.
"What else would you want me to do?" Mikagami asked. It was the least he could offer for all the hospitality they were showering upon him.
"Oh, I think we could manage by ourselves," Sakura replied. "Go find Fuu-chan, she's in here somewhere,"
"Yeah, patch up your misunderstanding last night," Hikari suggested.
At Mikagami's incredulous look, the women laughed.
Mikagami was shooed out of the kitchen.
"I still can't believe Fuu-chan woke up very early," Mikagami heard one of them comment.
"It always happens when it rains, specially if there's thunder," came Rika's distinct voice.
He decided to go to the terrace, wanting some time alone with his thoughts before the rest of the house woke up.
To his amazement, he saw Fuuko already there, watching the dark sky. Once or twice, lightning would illuminate her form, followed by the rolling of thunder. But she was not alone. Aya, the nine-year old kid who wanted to be his girlfriend, was with her. She was watching the skies too, occasionally screaming whenever the thunder becomes too loud.
"Fuuko," Mikagami called out to her.
Fuuko screeched, jumped, and hugged the nearby column all at once.
Mikagami snorted.
Aya giggled mirthfully.
"Don't do that!" Fuuko told him, clutching her heart.
"Sorry," he said, clearly not. "I must be interrupting you. I'll go ahead." He then turned around to leave.
"Mi-chan," Aya ran to him, hugging his legs pretty much like Ganko did days ago. "Stay with us,"
Mikagami winced at the nickname but couldn't very well walk away with a kid wrapped around his legs.
"I hate thunder," he heard Fuuko mutter.
Thunder…
Raiha…
Mikagami wanted to ask what had happened that made her hate thunder, but he figured it was none of his business.
"I don't like thunder either," Aya told him. The statement was punctuated by a clear clap of lightning and a loud roll of thunder. Aya screamed in fright and hugged Mikagami closer.
Acting on impulse, Mikagami stooped down and scooped the frightened child in his arms.
Mikagami, what on earth do you think you're doing? His common sense assaulted him seconds later, but he didn't have the heart to put down young Aya who had snuggled closer to his chest.
When Mikagami turned to Fuuko, he found her looking at him with the strangest expression on her face.
"Hey, Mi-chan," she said, as if looking at him for the first time, a secret smile playing on her lips.
Mikagami didn't say anything, he simply stared back at her. He was almost sorry when Fuuko turned around to watch the sky again.
He didn't know how long they stood there at the terrace, standing apart from each other, watching the sky, lost in their own thoughts.
He was surprised when Fuuko placed a hand on his shoulder. "Better get Aya to bed," she told him.
Mikagami looked at his charge. She was like an angel in his arms, sleeping peacefully. He nodded as he followed Fuuko to their room.
"Why does it have to rain?" Kaoru grumbled after breakfast. Yuri had promised to take him wakeboarding that morning, only to be cancelled because of the rain. "Why? Why? Why?"
"I think it all starts when the sun shines over the sea," Miko began seriously. "The water then evaporates into vapors and goes into the clouds,"
A few people groaned and started throwing stuff at Miko.
"Hey, hey! It was just a joke." He protested. "And don't mess with the hair!"
"Fuu-chan, isn't your brother coming today?" Eri asked.
Fuuko nodded as she glanced at her cards. "I think he'll be arriving tonight,"
"Oh, dear, if it continues to rain, where would he sleep?" Rika asked worriedly.
"It's my brother you're talking about," Fuuko told them as she took a card from Yuri. "He can sleep in the bathtub for all he cares."
"Point," Yuri grinned as he took a card from Jou. He then put down two cards.
"This is boring! I'm going to the attic to play video games!" Hiroshi announced suddenly. "Kaoru, you coming?"
Kaoru nodded. The two of them raced upstairs, followed by the rest of the boys.
"Hey, wait for me!" Jou called out as he threw down his cards to go upstairs.
"Hey! What about our game?" Miko asked Jou.
The younger kid ignored him.
"Hmp. Kids these days," Miko rolled his eyes as he took all of the cards and began shuffling them expertly.
"Mi-chan, I have something for you," Aya had walked into the living room.
Fuuko, who like her cousins were sprawled of the floor, looked up. Mikagami was seated comfortably on the couch behind her, looking over her shoulders.
Mikagami simply raised an eyebrow.
"Here," Aya handed him a card she had made. She and Ganko were in the kitchen, drawing pictures. "I put my name inside and the date today. You do the same," she told him as she gave him a red crayon.
The others watched in interest as Mikagami read the card with a big red heart drawn on it.
"I put my name here?" He asked.
Aya nodded solemnly.
Mikagami signed his name and the date on the card.
Aya beamed at him. "Now you kiss me and you're now my boyfriend,"
Fuuko and the boys howled with laughter.
Aya took offense. "What's so funny?" She demanded with a stamp of her foot.
"Hey guys, it looks like Aya-chan got more than the Kirisawa hair," Miko snickered.
Aya launched herself into her uncle. "What's," a small fist struck Miko's chest. "So," the other fist landed on Miko. "Funny?"
That made Miko laugh even harder as he disentangled his spirited niece from him, shoving her towards Mikagami.
"Nothing, Aya-chan," Mikagami told her. With that, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.
Aya smiled at him and stuck her tongue out at the rest of the people in the living room. "Thanks, Mi-chan," she said. "Now, I keep the card to prove that I'm your girlfriend," satisfied, Aya ran back to the kitchen to be with Ganko, the kids, and the moms.
"Fuu-chan, Aya-chan's moving in your man!" Miko teased her.
"Aw, shut up!" Fuuko ruffled his hair. "He's not my man!"
"Hey, not the hair! Not the hair!"
Moments later, when the crowd had settle down, Mikagami felt a hand on his ankles.
"You know what, Mi-chan?" Fuuko looked up to him. "You're alright."
It was a disaster.
Imprisoned in the beach house by the rain, the Kirisawas are beginning to get bored.
And bored Kirisawas are not a pretty sight.
Put thirty or so of them together inside one house with nothing to do is like collecting firecrackers in one room and placing a lighted match inside.
Take today, for instance.
The kids had discovered a magic wand (a karaoke mike) and the Kirisawas had discovered the joys of karaoke.
At that moment, Miko was singing an off-key rendition of Sex Bomb, wiggling his hips in time to the music.
"I'm going to have nightmares from this," Fuuko groaned.
The six children, Ganko, Aya, Touya, Kenjie, and the terrible twins, Yuki and Yuui, started dancing next to Miko.
"Thank you, thank you very much," Miko bowed after the song, doing a bad impression of the King.
"Me next!" Ruriko grabbed the mike from Miko.
Yuri groaned. "Honey, no!" He tried to pull his girlfriend to his lap, but Ruriko was insistent.
"What do you want to sing?" Fuuko asked her as she browsed at the selection.
"Watch and learn." Ruriko winked at her.
Fuuko groaned as she heard the opening bars of Destiny's Child's Bootylicious.
Ruriko decided to get creative with the lyrics.
Sano,
can you handle this?
Miko, can you handle this?
Kuno, can you handle this?
I don't think they can handle this
My
boy Yuri, can you handle this?
My girl Fuuko, can you handle this?
Mi-chan, can you handle this?
My ghettos you can't handle this
Ruriko pulled Yuri to his feet. She then started dancing. Yuri laughed and decided to humor his girlfriend. He started to mechanically shake his hips.
"You've got two left feet, niisan!" Miko teased.
Yuri reddened. "Well, I like to see you do better." He challenged his younger brother.
Barely
move cause we've arrived
Lookin sexy, lookin fly
We're the baddest chicks, chicks inside
DJ jam tonight
Spotted me a tender thang
There you are, come on baby
Don't you wanna boogie with me
So can you handle, handle me
Ever the show-off, Miko pulled Fuuko to the middle of the room. He started shaking his booty.
Fuuko, not to be outdone, started swinging her hips playfully. She then pulled Ganko to the dance floor.
You gotta do much better if you gone dance with me
tonight
You gotta work your jelly if you gone dance with me tonight
Cause I don't think they ready for that jelly for them boys
I don't think they ready for that jelly for them boys
I don't think they ready for that jelly
Yuri, Fuuko and Miko it's time for takeoff
Delighted, the kids started swinging to the beat.
Aya, to Mikagami's horror, had grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the sofa.
"You wouldn't say no to your girlfriend, would you, Mi-chan?" Fuuko teased him.
A reluctant Mikagami followed Aya to the dance floor, his eyes shooting daggers at his ex-teammate.
Aya started dancing enthusiastically to the music, holding on to her new boyfriend.
Led by the child, Mikagami stood as still as a pole.
"Hey, niisan, we finally found a worse dancer than you." Miko called out.
I
don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this
Cause my body too bootylicious for you babe
The rest of the guys still seated had also gone into the fray, moving their hips about and showing just how bootylicious they can be.
I
don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this
Cause my body too bootylicious for you babe
"How about dancing with your Uncle Miko, Aya-chan?" Miko asked playfully as he shoved Fuuko forward and scooped the laughing child into his arms.
And that left…
Fuuko and Mikagami both froze in the middle of a dance step and stared uncomfortably at each other.
Ganko saw the two and rolled her eyes. She playfully pushed her neechan towards her ice cold niisan.
I shake my jelly at every chance
When I whip with my hips you slip into a trance
I'm hoping you can handle all this jelly that I have
Now let's cut a rug while we shake our....
Mikagami caught Fuuko in his arms, just as her eyes caught his.
They both turned red, but neither was willing to move from their spot.
He broke the spell first as steadied her and made sure that she was on her own two feet before crossing his arms defiantly.
"Come on, Fuu-chan, shake that booty!" Junko shouted out loud.
Fuuko recovered first. She rolled her eyes and started dancing, away from the ice blue stare, if not as freely as before.
I'm
about to break you off
H-town goin hard
Lead my hips, slap my thighs
Swing my hair, square my eyes
Lookin hot, smellin good
Groovin like I'm from the hood
Look over my shoulder, I'll blow you a kiss
Can you handle, handle this
Mikagami saw the challenge in Fuuko's eyes. They were daring him to quit and stalk off the dance floor.
He hated dares. His pride would never let him back off one.
Had it been a fight, he would've cheerfully accepted the challenge, with or without his ensui.
But, this was another matter.
I don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this
Cause my body too bootylicious for you babe
Mikagami turned around and made his way back to his seat elegantly and merely contented himself with watching the Kirisawas make a fool out of themselves.
I don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this jelly
I don't think you ready for this
Cause my body too bootylicious for you babe
Fuuko was twirled around by a laughing Janko, while Kuno had picked up Ganko and the two started a weird looking waltz.
Mikagami felt something stir within him. Was it envy? Envy that they were having fun while he was imprisoned in his ice cold tower of his, never able to let himself go…
Move your body up and down (whoo)
Make your booty touch the ground (whoo)
I can't help but wonder why (whoo)
Is my vibe too vibealacious for you, babe
What a bunch of silly monkeys! Mikagami frowned and looked away, trying hard not to hear the sound of their laughter.
He resolved that he would never lower himself to their level, degrading themselves in the name of fun.
Wouldn't he?
I shake my jelly at every chance (uh)
When I whip with my hips you slip into a trance (uh)
I'm hoping you can handle all this jelly that I have (uh)
Now let's cut a rug while we scat some jazz
Almost too soon, the song ended.
"Did your so-called grace and fluidity desert you, Mi-chan?" Fuuko teased him with a smirk.
"Hmp." Mikagami glared at her, as if daring her to say another word.
The rain was beginning to die down.
"Niisan!" Fuuko screeched when the front door dramatically burst open, revealing a rain-drenched man in a yellow raincoat. She immediately launched herself into her niisan whom she haven't seen since he entered the university for the semester.
"What did you do, walk here?" Eri asked her grandson, favoring him with a kiss on the cheek.
"I'll get you some towels,"
"Have you eaten yet?"
From the corner of the living room, Mikagami watched to women fawn over the new-arrival. Fuuko's brother, Shoji, looked a lot like her. The both inherited the Kirisawa purple hair, the soulful plum eyes, the nose, and the skin coloring. He was only a lot taller and heavier built than his slender sister.
Shoji was dragged to the kitchen by the ladies. He came out a moment later with a plate laden with food.
When Shoji was comfortably seated down in front of the TV, Miko walked up to him and whispered something. Mikagami didn't miss the mischievous twinkle in his purple eyes, followed by an enthusiastic nod to his cousin.
Miko snickered and walked away.
Mikagami shrugged it off as none of his business and resumed his conversation about cars with Junko.
About fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Reiko-san answered it and was surprised that a police officer was at the door.
Mikagami noticed Sano shepherding the kids upstairs.
"Yes, officer?" Eri asked with a frown.
"Yes, is a Fuuko Kirisawa here?" The officer asked.
"Me, I'm Fuuko Kirisawa!"
"Well, ma'am, we received a complaint," the officer said as he stepped inside, brandishing his handcuffs.
~tbc
P.S.
Please don't kill me whimpers pitifully I was watching the MTV of Bootylicious while I was writing this, and I thought wouldn't it be fun if…
Anyway, the card game that Miko, Yuri, Fuuko, and Jou were playing was Pairs (or more affectionately known as pares-pares or monkey-monkey. It's a game similar to old maid).
