Disclaimer:
I don't own Flame of Recca or any of its characters.
A/N:
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is, I finally found the angsty stuff. It's coming out next chapter (you'll know why by the end of this chapter).
The bad news is, I finally found the angsty stuff. ^^;;; Does that make sense?
The credit for beta-reading all these stuff goes to Ranka. Thank you!
Thanks to Dark Phoenix and Kurie for answering my Yuri-name thingy. It's all clear to me now. Dark Phoenix said that Yuri's a girl name. But since no one's complained yet and Kurei told me not to worry about it, I decided not to change Yuri's name. Thanks again, guys.
Anyway, well, somebody caught me (a shout out to Fire Arrow). ^^ But I swear, I wrote about Miko mermaid before I remembered watching a similar scene in an episode in Friends. The scene wasn't plagiarized (well, it was different to a certain extent). Must be my subconscious. But I am completely innocent about its similarity in Roswell (can you tell me which part reminds you of it? I'm dying to know. Thanks). I don't watch that show. I have a tendency to shy away from shows that aren't comedy.
Oh, and I'm so happy to find one of my readers is Pinoy. Hey, denise! Ang kabanatang ito ay para sa aking mga kababayan ngayong araw ng ating kalayaan… (I've finished this chapter waaay back on June 12). At sa tingin ko, alam mo kung bakit Yuri and ipinangalan ko sa isa sa mga tauhan ko. ;)
Thanks for the loveliest reviews. I'm a little down because of schoolwork, but your reviews really make my day sooo much brighter. A million thanks. I want to reply to each and everyone of you, but this A/N is long enough. Hah.
Kindred Chapter 7: Solitary Saturday"Hey,"
"Hey,"
Mikagami sat down at the living room couch where Fuuko was seated, leafing through a large book of some sort. He was surprised. It was only five thirty in the morning. "Early day?" He asked. She probably wanted to spend every remaining time at the beach house with her family before they leave back home after breakfast.
"More like late night," Fuuko replied easily, looking up at him and giving him a warm smile.
"No sleep?" Mikagami asked with a frown, absent-mindedly brushing a lock of stray hair behind her ears.
She shrugged. "I saw Miko sneaking around last night when I went down for a glass of milk," Fuuko said.
So that's where Miko went to. The Kirisawa playboy wasn't there when he woke up. He simply assumed that the former had woken up earlier than he did.
"He was looking for family photo albums," Fuuko replied, indicating the large book on her lap. "We looked for them for hours. And we've been here since we found them, just reminiscing."
"Fuu-chan!" Miko called out. "Your hot cocoa order!" He appeared in the living room with two steaming cups of cocoa. "Hey, we have another customer," he said as he set down the cups on the coffee table. "What are we having?" He asked Mikagami.
Mikagami raised an eyebrow in reply.
"Tell him, Mi-chan," Fuuko urged. "Miko worked part time in a coffee shop. That's just about the only thing he's good at."
"Hey!" Miko protested, pinching Fuuko's nose.
"Ah, yes. That and practical jokes,"
"Coffee then," Mikagami replied. "Black,"
Miko frowned. "That's it? No cream, sugar, or milk? You mere mortals! You cannot even challenge my culinary expertise." With that, he turned away to make coffee in the kitchen.
Fuuko scooted over and pushed the album towards Mikagami. Mikagami hesitated a moment before casually draped his arm around the slender girl's shoulder, carefully balancing her against him.
Mikagami held his breath, expecting a Super Domon Punch from Fuuko because of his daring. To his surprise, Fuuko seemed to welcome the movement. She even snuggled closer to Mikagami like a small child.
She sighed. "I used to sit like this with my daddy," she said wistfully.
Mikagami smirked. "I remind you of your father?"
Fuuko gave a laugh. "You and my daddy have absolutely nothing in common,"
Mikagami grinned at her.
Fuuko turned a few pages of the album. "There, that's my dad."
He looked at the picture Fuuko pointed at. Yamato Kirisawa gave his daughter his purple hair and purple eyes.
The photo was taken on the shore. Yamato was tossing his first-born toddler in the air. Father and son were laughing.
"Shoji-niisan's the one who looks like dad," Fuuko said with a wistful smile on her face.
"What happened?" He asked gently.
Fuuko looked away and Mikagami was almost sorry for ruining the mood for Fuuko.
"He was diagnosed with cancer when I entered junior high and died shortly afterwards. That was the most turbulent time of my life." She sighed at the memory. "I was so angry then. My dad's sickness taught me to be strong, to be tough. But a someone else taught me real courage(*)."
Mikagami sensed the love emanating from Fuuko. After all these years, she still loves him. And Mikagami doubted that she would ever stop. Mikagami knew the feeling well. He felt it with his neechan. And he knew that because of that love, there would always be a pain that they would feel that would never cease…
"I'm sorry," Mikagami told her softly, his free hand tilting her chin upwards so that they would be face to face, wanting to comfort her.
"Yeah," she said softly, oddly hypnotized by his ice blue eyes. "Me too," she smiled at him. "Thanks, Mi-chan."
Mikagami gazed back at her. Strangely, he saw no pain, no bitterness in those eyes, only peace and a hint of sadness. He did not see anything that resembles the turbulence that he sees in his eyes every morning. How could that be? They both lost someone very important in their lives. He, through his mentor, she through a heartbreaking disease. Yet, she can still smile at the world, oblivious to the pain that the Fates had dealt her. He frowned.
"Mi-chan?" She blinked in confusion at his frown. "What's wrong?"
Mikagami shook his head. "Nothing," he smiled grimly.
"Here's your boring black coffee, Mikagami," Miko called out. "Oops. Did I enter at a bad time?"
"No!" Fuuko cried as she scrambled out of the sofa and swatted away the hands of her relatives.
"Don't be such a spoilsport!" Miko cried out as he ran after her.
"Niisan!" Fuuko called out as she tossed the album to him.
Yuri tried to intercept, but Fuuko's aim was true. Shoji easily caught the album. "Fuu-chan! Go long!" He called out.
"Oh, no you don't!" Junko cried as he tackled Fuuko to the floor.
"Niisan! It's up to you now!" Fuuko shouted.
All of the kids surrounded Shoji. They all stood on tiptoes, jumping up and down, trying to grab the albums for themselves.
Shoji raised his hands, making sure that the album was out of the children's reach.
"The things these children would do," Eri shook her head.
Beside Eri on the couch, Mikagami grinned.
Yuri had lifted Ganko up so that she could snatch the album from her niisan.
"No fair!" Fuuko yelled. She had shaken Junko off and was now after the album.
Ganko was able to grab the album, particularly because the terrible twins had wrapped themselves around Shoji's legs, while Aya was hanging on his free arm.
Ganko quickly scurried to her Tokiya-niisan's side, placing the album on his lap and snuggling closer to him, pretty much like what Fuuko did that morning.
The morning was spent in peace (at least, by Kirisawa standards) by the family, leafing through old family albums. However, when Eri had brought out Yamato and Raye's kids baby photo album, Fuuko and Shoji reacted rather violently.
Ganko quickly opened the album. "Look, Tokiya-niisan, here's a naked baby picture of Fuuko-neechan in a bathtub," she pointed before leafing through it again. "And here's a naked picture of Fuuko-neechan playing in the rain with a naked Shoji-niisan," she leafed through it again. "And here is Fuuko-neechan, naked, in the beach,"
"Oi!" Fuuko groaned as she slapped her forehead.
"Thanks, nana," Fuuko said as she kissed her grandmother's cheek.
"Don't forget to write, Fuu-chan." Eri said as she hugged her granddaughter.
"'Bye, Mi-chan," Aya said shyly as she made Mikagami bend over so she can kiss him too.
"Mikagami, take care of Fuu-chan for me," Shoji said. Ganko and Kaoru were to ride home with him.
"Kaoru, we expect you to be back, you hear?" Eri told the young man. "You too, Tokiya-san."
Kaoru beamed.
"Hey! Kaoru!" Hiroshi called him.
"Go say good bye to your new friends," Eri patted his head.
She watched as Kaoru ran over to the kids his age. Eri then turned to the quiet man beside her. "Thank you for coming, Tokiya-san. We enjoyed your company. Thank you for bringing my grandkids to me," Eri told him as Fuuko hugged and kissed her cousins, aunts, nephews, and nieces.
"It was my pleasure, Kirisawa-san," he said bowing politely.
Eri laughed. "I told you, I would have none of those formalities,"
"So you're still going to your dorm?" Mikagami heard Fuuko ask her niisan.
"I'm going to check my grades," he replied. "Plus, I promised Kaoru and Ganko that they could stay at my new bachelor's pad," he grinned. He and his friends had decided to rent an apartment for their senior year in the university. Shoji had insisted that they call it the bachelor's pad.
Fuuko rolled her eyes.
"Fuu-chan," Aunt Rika called, shoving a piece of Tupperware at her niece's hands. "You're going to travel the furthest, so I baked some lasagna for you," she smiled.
"Oh, wait! There's some bananas in the kitchen, you better take some too." Aunt Hikari added. "Sano, be a dear and dash to the kitchen,"
Ruriko handed Fuuko a brown paper bag. "Yuri and I were at the arcade this morning. We bought cookies for you,"
Fuuko sweatdropped at the large amount of food on her arms. "Uh, thanks guys," she said.
"Oh, Fuu-chan, there's raw seafood in your cooler, for your mother," Eri called out.
"Thanks, nana,"
Mikagami thought he saw tears in the old woman's face.
"They must like you, Mi-chan," Fuuko grinned at him as he handed him the containers of food. "They have this compulsion to feed you,"
"Let's go," Mikagami told her as he helped her load the food in the car.
Fuuko nodded, but Eri cleared her throat.
"Mi-chan, nana wants you to kiss her goodbye, like a good grandson," Fuuko whispered to Mikagami.
Mikagami hated himself for it, but he felt himself turn red.
"Don't be shy, Tokiya-san. I don't make a habit of stealing my granddaughter's boyfriends," Eri said.
Mikagami took a deep breath and did what he was asked to do.
"Now, that wasn't so bad, wasn't it?" Eri asked with a teasing grin.
"Oi," Fuuko rolled her eyes. "Let's go, Mi-chan, or we'll get out of here."
"Tell mom we'll be home by tomorrow night," Shoji called out as Fuuko and Mikagami loaded their bags in the car.
"'Bye, Fuu-chan!" Miko called out. "See you really soon!"
Fuuko grinned.
"Hey, Mikagami, take care of Fuuko!" Yuri called.
Fuuko rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," she said as she dragged Mikagami in the car. "Let's go now or we'll never leave."
"Where are we?" A sleepy voice muttered.
"Still on the road," Mikagami replied, barely looking at her companion.
"How long have I been asleep?" Fuuko asked as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Why is it so dark?"
"You've been out for a few hours," he replied. Fuuko had been out like a rock the moment they pulled out of the Kirisawa driveway.
Fuuko looked outside. "Oh, it's raining." So that's why it
was so dark. She yawned and stretched. "Why aren't we moving?" She asked.
"Traffic jam because of the rain," Mikagami replied.
Fuuko checked her watch. "Hey! I woke just in time for lunch," she reached back for the lasagna Aunt Rika gave her.
"If you don't watch yourself, you'll inflate into Ishijima's proportions." Mikagami told her deadpan.
Fuuko smirked. "Was that a joke, Mi-chan?" She asked. "And if you don't behave yourself, I won't share," she looked out the window. "Oh!" She cried as she shoved the container of lasagna into Mikagami's hands.
"Wha—" Mikagami was surprised when Fuuko suddenly threw open the door and ran outside. "Fuuko!" He called out, wondering what on earth the girl was up to. "Kirisawa! It's raining outside!"
Minutes later, a wet Fuuko slid in the passenger seat.
"Kirisawa, you're getting my upholstery wet," Mikagami meant that to come out as biting, but his edge was lost on the girl.
Fuuko, ignoring him, thrusted out two cones of ice cream under his nose. "Chocolate or strawberry?" She asked.
Mikagami glared at her. "It's cold outside and you're eating ice cream?"
"So you don't want one?" Fuuko grinned. "Good. More for me,"
"Kirisawa, you're shivering," Mikagami turned on the heater as he reached in the back for something to dry her off. He found his bag and took out his towel. He unceremoniously dropped it on the girl's head.
Fuuko shook out her hair, but for most part, ignored Mikagami as she turned her full attention to the two cones she was holding. She licked one, then the other. "Mmm,"
"You'll make yourself sick," Mikagami told her. Unused to being ignored (he was more used to doing the ignoring), Mikagami took one of the cones away from her.
"Hey!" Fuuko protested. "If you wanted one, you could've just asked."
Mikagami glared at her. He opened his window and dumped the cone outside.
"Mi-chan!" Fuuko yelped.
"One is enough,"
Fuuko made a face. "Now, you really do remind me of my daddy," she took a bite out of her chocolate ice cream.
Mikagami ignored her as the car in front of them moved a little bit then stopped again. Mikagami coaxed his car to follow. He sighed. It looks like they were going to be stuck there for a while. He glanced at the girl beside him. Fuuko do not do well in enclosed spaces. She almost always ends up in trouble.
By now, Fuuko was ignoring him. She started to fiddle with his radio, searching for a station that she liked.
Mikagami was relieved. At least, she won't be bringing up Britney Spears.
"Hey! An 80s station. Cool." Fuuko grinned like an idiot as her head started bobbing to closing stanzas of Buttercup. Soon afterwards, YMCA was cued.
"You have weird taste," Mikagami muttered as he opened the ignored container of lasagna. He was getting hungry.
"It's fun to stay at the," Fuuko sang along, "Y—oops!" As she sang Y, her hands automatically formed the letter above her head. Unfortunately, she was still gripping the ice cream. The inner roof of Mikagami's car now had a brownish stain.
"Fuuko," Mikagami growled in warning as he took the remaining ice cream in her hand before she can do anymore damage. He threw it outside.
"Sorry, Mi-chan!" Fuuko grinned sheepishly at him. "I promise to head over your place first thing tomorrow morning to help you clean your car,"
"Help me?"
"Alright, alright, I'll bring Domon and Recca over, we'll clean it for you."
Mikagami frowned at the mention of the two's name. He had forgotten about the gorilla and the sea monkey. He shuddered inwardly at the grief and the pain that those two would cause when they find out about him and Fuuko. "Ishijima and Hanabishi are not touching my car," he said acidly.
"B-but—" Fuuko protested.
"I'll help you clean if you like, just don't bring them with you tomorrow. Ishijima especially," he spat out with more bitterness that he intended.
"What? Why?" Then, comprehension dawned on her face. "Mi-chan! Don't tell me you're jealous of Domon!" She burst out laughing. "Domon! Good grief! You might as well be jealous of Miko!" She snorted.
Mikagami shook his head. When she put it that way, it does seem kind of silly…
"A-choo!" Fuuko sniffled.
Mikagami gave her a look that clearly said 'I told you so.' He then concentrated on the road. The traffic jam was behind them now. However, it was still raining so they weren't able to drive as fast as they wanted to.
Actually, Mikagami wasn't that much in a hurry to get home. He was finally spending time alone with Fuuko, something that they weren't able to do at the beach and something he knew they wouldn't be able to do much when they reach home.
She groaned as she received another SMS message on her handy phone. Actually, it was Shoji's phone, but she had stolen it away from her brother before they left.
"What did he say?" Mikagami asked in amusement.
Fuuko was regretting her decision to swipe her brother's phone. Miko had been sending her messages all throughout the ride. "Now he's asking me whether or not we're planning to check in a hotel,"
Because of the traffic jam that they haven't anticipated, the night has already fallen and they're still a long way from home.
"That doesn't explain why you're blushing."
"A love hotel," Fuuko mumbled her clarification.
The corners of Mikagami's mouth drew up. "Well?"
"Well what?" She asked defensively.
"Do you want to?" He asked innocently.
"Mi-chan!" Fuuko gasped, scandalized.
Mikagami laughed softly. Shoji was right. Fuuko was very much conservative.
"Was that a laugh, Mi-chan?" Fuuko asked, grinning.
Mikagami stopped laughing, but the grin never left his face. "I like your family,"
Fuuko grinned. "I like them, too."
One of Mikagami's hands took hers. He gave it a squeeze. "Thank you."
"For what?" Fuuko asked.
Mikagami simply smiled at her.
However, the moment was ruined by the rumbling of Fuuko's stomach.
Fuuko blushed and scratched her head. "Dinner time," she unfastened her seatbelt and squeezed herself in the space between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat as she reached for the basket that contained their food. "What do you feel like having, Mi-chan?"
Mikagami was about to answer her when his keen senses told him something was definitely wrong. "Fuuko!" He screamed as he sharply jerked the wheel of the car to the right, but it was to no avail. The truck on their left had smashed into the passenger's side.
As if in slow motion, he saw Fuuko being tossed violently backwards like a rag doll, towards the front of the car. He quickly released the wheel to grab Fuuko, but he was jerked back to his seat by the seatbelt. He saw Fuuko's head smashing into the windshield, shattering the glass.
The speed of the truck had propelled their car to move side wards. He heard another metal-crunching sound before the car grinded into a halt. They only stopped because the driver's side of Mikagami's car collided into a lamp post.
Mikagami hit his head on the side of the car hard.
And the last thing he saw before blacking out was red on purple…
Red and blue flashing alternately. Red and blue.
Voices.
He heard voices. And sirens.
Mikagami groaned as he forced his eyes to open. And when he did, he saw Fuuko's head on the dashboard, scratches on her face, her skin pale, her arm twisted in an unnatural angle, shards of glass everywhere. Blood was on her hair.
Red on purple…
"Fuuko," he whispered weakly.
"Hey! One of them's awake!" He heard a voice outside shout.
"Fuuko," he whispered again, his hand trying to reach for her before the darkness claimed him once more.
~tbc
(*)Um, I kinda mixed reality (or at least, reality in the FoR universe) with fantasy. I've put down that the real reason why Fuuko was the way she was in junior high (all tough and violent) was because of her dad's death (if you don't know what I'm talking about, try to surf the reason why Fuuko wears a headband. I read it somewhere in the web, but for the life of me, I can't remember where).
P.S.
Now you see why I originally put this up as angst?
Severe angst-ing ahead.
And I think I can wrap this baby up in two or three chapters. =) Oh, yeah, plus an epilogue.
