Celebrations
by Apple-chan
Disclaimer: insert witty disclaimer remark here
A future fic of sorts. Set approximately 11 years after the Anime. It's Funbari
Onsen's 3rd anniversary, and Yoh and Anna's daughter's birthday. Almost everyone
is here!^^ Love, madness, love, weirdness, love, silliness...and love. Yeah.
Spoilers: The whole Anime series.
Warnings: PG-13 for adult situations, mild swearing, and implied sex (ha-ha).
Warnings for chapter length.^^;;; And no, no almost-R scenes here this time...^^
It's the morning of May 5, and the start of the celebrations!^_^
Chapter 6 - The Celebrations Begin
"Ah, good. You're here. Excellent. Now, just follow this beautiful lady here and
she'll show you the way. I'll be right with you shortly." Asakura Hao greeted
the deliverymen on the front door cheerily and waved them away towards the back
entrance, where a maid was waiting to lead them. It was late morning of the
fifth of May, around ten o'clock.
"Ohayo gozaimasu!"
Hao raised an eyebrow as another delivery truck pulled over in front of the
Funbari Onsen Inn. Unlike Hao's delivery truck, which bore the Nakatsugawa
Enterprises seal and the brand of the wine in Japanese handwriting, this new
truck seemed particularly...international. Of course, it was probably delivering
an international package. And for whom...? Most probably for his brother and
sister-in-law. But as from who the international package came from, Hao could
only guess...
"Good, you got it here in time," A male voice from behind Hao announced. The
long-haired shaman turned his head a bit...and his guess was confirmed.
"Lyserg-kun. I should have known," Hao grinned his usual teasing grin. He eyed
the green-haired Englishman thoughtfully from head to toe. "And how has your
morning been so far?" He gave a light casual toss of his hair and looked at the
other man expectantly.
Lyserg threw him a glare. "I was having a great morning, thank you very much,"
He answered curtly. "At least, until I ran into you. Then my morning was
ruined." He gave a small yawn, then rubbed his face with his hands impatiently.
"Would you mind getting out of the way? I need to get my package."
Hao surveyed the other man critically for several minutes before moving aside.
"You haven't shaved for three days." He commented, noting the light stubble that
was forming on Lyserg's chin.
"I KNOW THAT!" The other man snapped, rubbing his chin self-consciously before
heading out to greet the deliverymen who were waiting for him at the front.
The long-haired shaman followed Lyserg as he walked. "Convent girl's presence or
lack thereof bothering you?" He persisted.
Ignoring Hao, Lyserg spoke to the deliverymen. "Second room to the right on the
lobby of this floor. Careful with it; it's very fragile." He called out to the
men behind the truck, who were loading out a large, brown package that
could have fit in a 21-inch television and still have room.
Hao stared at the package curiously before turning back to the Englishman.
"You're giving my brother and his wife a new television set?"
Sighing, Lyserg signed the delivery papers and handed them back to the man on
the front seat of the truck with a smile. "It's not a TV. It's...hold on a
minute! Why should I -tell- you?" He turned to Hao incredulously.
Hao gazed up at the bright morning sky and tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Umm...because I want to know?" He gave Lyserg a grin.
Lyserg rolled his eyes as he headed back inside the Onsen. "Wrong answer." He
muttered.
"Oh, come on, Lyserg-kun..." Hao coaxed as he followed the other man inside. "I
won't tell my Otouto or his wife, I promise."
Ignoring Hao again, the green-haired young man nodded and smiled his thanks to
the deliverymen who were just coming out of the spare room. Pulling out his
wallet, he extracted a couple of bills and handed them to the men. "Arigato
gozaimasu."
"Arigato gozaimasu," One of the men said in turn as he accepted the cash, with a
bow. "We were asked to tell you that your wife will be bringing the rest of the
packages when she comes here. She requested for it. Her signature's in the
papers," he added.
Lyserg gave the man a blank look. "My wife?" He echoed. "I don't have a wife.
I'm not married."
The deliverymen exchanged a look. "That's what our boss said." The men nodded.
"He said that the lady with you came back to the office to retake the other two
packages. We gave her back the refund as well. I believe her name's Miss
Jeanne."
Lyserg blushed furiously at this. "She's -not- my wife," He said defensively.
"She's my...never mind," He shook his head. "Anyway, did your boss tell you when
Jeanne would be arriving?"
"She didn't tell him," Another one of the men answered. "She just requested to
take back the other packages. She told our boss that she was going to take them
with her when she comes here."
Lyserg sighed. "Well...alright," He said finally. "But if you find out anything,
call me. You know my number, right?"
"Hai, Mr. Diethyl. We'll let you know in case we find out anything about your
wife." And with another bow the deliverymen stepped out the door. After a few
moments, the sound of the truck leaving was heard, then all was quiet again.
The green-haired Englishman gave another sigh as he started to walk towards the
dining hall...until he felt someone looking at him. Watching him. He groaned
mentally as he remembered.
Beside the door, stood Hao, who was grinning at him like a lunatic. "What?" He
demanded.
Hao's grin widened. "Wife, huh?"
Lyserg's face reddened again. "I don't know where the -hell- that came from," he
muttered, "but that sure as hell didn't come from me."
Hao nodded with understanding. "You're not used to it, yes?"
"No...I mean, she is -not- my wife, dammit!" Lyserg said with annoyance.
"Then what is she to you?" The long-haired shaman pressed.
"She's my...why the hell do I have to tell you this?" The green-haired young man
said with irritation.
Hao gave him a look. "Because I want to know." He said matter-of-factly.
Lyserg glared at him darkly. "Yeah, that's what I thought," he muttered. "Don't
you have somewhere else you need to be, and -someone- else you can bother?"
"You're right! My wine!" Hao exclaimed. Tossing his hair back once again, he
gave Lyserg a cheerful grin. "I'll get back to you shortly. Meanwhile, I'm going
to check on the six dozen bottles of red wine I had delivered." With a slight
wave, Hao headed off to the kitchens.
Lyserg glared at Hao's retreating back. Six dozen bottles of red wine...?
Just what does he intend to do with them...? He rubbed the back of his head
wearily as he headed towards the dining hall. Putting thoughts of Hao aside, he
settled back again on the most important worry on his mind right now.
Jeanne.
Where in the world are you, Jeanne...?
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Oh, WOW..." Horo-horo whistled and he practically drooled at the sight that
greeted him in the dining hall. "If this is a dream, let me not wake up..." He
closed his eyes blissfully. "Ne, Pilica, pinch my cheek, will you?" He leaned
his face towards his sister.
From the across the room, Tamao rolled her eyes and sighed. Then, she walked
over towards the Ainu man...and pinched him on his left cheek, hard.
"ITAI!" Horo-horo screamed in pain and he opened his eyes to glare at the
offender. "PILICA! I NEVER SAID YOU SHOULD PINCH ME THAT HARD..." He stopped
mid-sentence as he realized who had actually done the pinching. "WHAT'D YOU THAT
FOR?!?!?" He demanded forcefully from the pink-haired fortune teller.
Tamao just gave him a sweet smile. "Nope. You're definitely not dreaming," She
said matter-of-factly, giving Pilica a meaningful look. The Ainu woman was
trying hard not to laugh at her brother's obviously exaggerated reaction.
"ARE YOU MY SISTER? I ASKED MY SISTER TO PINCH ME, -NOT- YOU, DAMMIT!" Horo-horo
screamed even louder.
"She gave me the honors." Tamao replied. "Pinching you wasn't a particularly
thrilling task, just so you know." She added.
"THEN -WHY- THE -HELL- DID YOU DO IT?" Horo-horo demanded.
"I wanted to see what your reaction will be," Tamao answered calmly as she sat
down on one of the chairs. She then threw Horo-horo a triumphant look. "And now
that I have, I can't really say that I'm proud of what I did." She shook her
head. "Honestly, you're an embarrassment to the rest of us Shamans."
Horo-horo gave her a dark glare. "Say that again." He said in a low, menacing
tone.
Tamao gave him a look. "Make me," She said in a challenging tone.
The Ainu man moved towards the pink-haired young woman's chair and slapped his
hands ferociously on its back. "You like making me angry, don't you?"
The fortune teller raised an eyebrow. "Hai. And you like annoying me, don't
you?" She threw back at him.
"It's my nature," Horo-horo shot back.
"ANNOYING me is your nature?" Tamao said in disbelief. "I don't believe this,"
She muttered, shaking her head as she gently picked up a cup of tea and slowly
drank.
"DON'T drink while I'm TALKING, dammit!"
Tamao gave him a look as she put down her cup. "Why not? We're supposed to be
having brunch. And you're ruining this wonderful fare for everybody all because
of a stupid pinch which wasn't even that hard." She waved her hand across the
table where almost everyone, except for the six Asakuras, Hao, Lyserg, Faust,
Ryu, and Jun, were sitting on their respective places. The immense dining table
was laden with a large amount of different types of brunch food. For the
pleasure of all, Japanese, Chinese, as well as American and European breakfast
and lunch courses were all present. Different drinks from coffee to tea to milk
to hot chocolate to orange juice to cider were there, too. And of course, no one
can ever forget dessert--there were several different kinds of dessert on the
dessert tray. And this was just brunch.
"NOT that HARD?" Horo-horo leaned towards Tamao on the table. "See this?" He
pointed to a tiny pinkish mark on his left cheek. "YOU did THIS," He told Tamao
accusingly.
"And what do you intend to do about it?" The pink-haired woman gazed expectantly
at the Ainu man, her arms folded across her chest.
This time, Horo-horo gave an evil smile. Then, not removing eye contact with
Tamao, he leaned his right hand over her head...and gave her a very hard pinch
on her right cheek.
"Ouch!" The pink-haired woman slapped the Ainu's hand away forcefully, glaring
at him. "That was very painful!"
"There's a taste of your own medicine!" Horo-horo smiled with satisfaction as he
walked away from her and plopped down on the chair beside his sister.
Unfortunately, the chair he was sitting on was right on the other side of the
table across Tamao's.
And as of the moment, she was glaring at him. She was glaring at him very hard.
"I hate you," She spat out.
Now it was his turn to give her a triumphant look. "Bite me."
"No thanks." Tamao said dryly. "I'd rather eat dirt."
Right across from the table where Pilica was sitting, Ren groaned. "Can the two
of you PLEASE just get it over with and KILL EACH OTHER already? I'm getting
pretty tired of all this squabble." He rested his head on his left hand and
picked up his cup of tea with the other. With a furtive glance at Pilica, he
took a long drink of his tea, wondering if he would finally be able to gather up
enough courage to tell her how feels tonight. Yes, tonight is -the- night...
He was going to tell her tonight, or he will die trying.
...or else he'll kill himself if he doesn't.
Horo-horo and Tamao both glowered at him. "SHUT UP!" They shouted at the same
time. Then, the two looked at each other and glared.
From beside Horo-horo, Pilica rolled her eyes. "Honestly, all this because of
one pinch..." She looked from Tamao to her brother, and then to Tamao once more,
and then back to her brother. I swear, I think the two of them are enjoying
all this...she blushed when she caught Ren looking at her, but when she gave
him a smile, he looked away quickly. I wonder if he's going to tell me
whatever it is he's been planning to tell me tonight...she sighed. I hope
he does, but...I have my own confessions to make, too...and they're long
overdue...-very- long overdue...
"OUCH!" At the doorway towards the dining room, someone winced. Everyone looked
as, by the said doorway, a tuft of green hair appeared, followed by the person
who owned it, who just happened to be Lyserg Diethyl. He was currently rubbing
his forehead, which had acquired a fair-sized bump due to the fact that he just
managed to hit his head on the door just now. Frowning at the door, he went
inside the dining room and smiled faintly at everyone. "Ohayo," he greeted
without much enthusiasm.
"Ohayo," Manta looked up as the green-haired Englishman settled himself on the
seat to the right of the short young man. "You look like hell." He remarked,
noting the slight stubble on his friend's chin, and the usual prim and
diligently buttoned white formal shirt of Lyserg's, which was now unbuttoned at
the neck.
Lyserg smiled wryly. "Thanks a lot." He said sarcastically, relaxing himself in
his seat and taking hold of his freshly-filled teacup.
"Did your package arrive yet?" Chocolove asked from Manta's left side.
The Englishman nodded. "Just a little while ago." He gave a long sigh as he
slowly drank from his cup.
"And Jeanne-san?" Manta persisted.
Another sigh. "Still not here." Lyserg frowned deeply. "I'm really getting
worried. She hasn't even called..." He sighed again as he gazed forlornly at the
window, his chin resting on his left hand.
"So THAT'S why you look like hell..." Ren commented, examining the green-haired
young man thoughtfully. "You haven't been sleeping at all these past couple of
days, have you?"
Lyserg shook his head wearily. "I'm worried about her."
"Hai, that's understandable. She's your wife, after all. You should be worried."
A cheerful voice proclaimed. At the dining room doorway, stood Hao, in his usual
attire, his long dark brown hair falling in waves around him. He gave everyone a
huge grin as he entered and sat down on his usual seat, with his trusty
assistant hopping beside him.
The green-haired Englishman blushed and glared at him. "For the last time, she
is -not- my wife. The FedEx people must have just made a mistake, that's all."
Horo-horo stopped glaring at Tamao and looked at Lyserg curiously. "You got
married, and you never told us? What kind of friend are you?" He demanded from
the dowser.
Lyserg rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly. "It was a MISTAKE," He said
with emphasis. "I'm not married. Not to Jeanne, not to anyone."
"So it -is- Jeanne-san," Manta gave him a thoughtful look. "It's not like you
really need to deny it, Lyserg-kun...so what if you're married? We don't care.
Maybe you wanted to keep it a secret. We understand."
The Englishman held up his hands in defeat. "Why the hell do I bother?" He
muttered. Trying once more, he said, "I'll say this again: No, I'm not married,
and no, I did NOT marry Jeanne. We just had all our gifts delivered together. We
did it under my name, paid through the agency. The manager must have thought we
were married." He sighed again for the umpteenth time. "Never mind. I'm pretty
sure you wouldn't believe me, anyway. I'll just have to prove it when she gets
here."
Tamao, who had long ago ceased glaring at Horo-horo, gave Lyserg a reassuring
smile. "She'll get here today, trust me. My board has never made a mistake." She
nodded confidently.
Horo-horo snorted. "Yeah, but -you- have." He felt a strong, violent kick on his
shin. "OUCH! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!?!?" He glared at Tamao.
The pink-haired fortune teller shot him a triumphant look. "Sorry. Reflex."
Horo-horo stood up and looked at Tamao menacingly. "WHY YOU..."
"ONIICHAN!" Pilica pulled her brother back towards the seat. "Don't start with
this again..." She told him warningly.
"But...but--" The Ainu man's voice faded as a passel of people entered the
dining hall. First was Tao Jun, who smiled at everyone and sat down primly on
the seat beside her younger brother. The next who came in were Yoh and Anna's
twin sons and their daughter Keiko, who was wearing an Anna-like frown on her
face. The one who came in after that was Ryu, who, upon seeing Jun's grin and
Ren's scowl, both of which were directed at him, ducked his head and sat down
beside Tamao. The sixth one who came in was Faust, who smiled graciously at
everyone and sat down beside Ryu. Finally, Asakura Anna came in, her chin held
up high, with her husband, who was cradling Ren-chan in his arms, bringing up
the rear. The couple sat down at the center seats of the dining table, beside
their children.
As soon as the couple had settled themselves in and greeted everyone a good
morning, all of their friends coughed, blushed, and lowered their eyes. Well,
all of them except for Hao, Opacho, Ryu, and Jun. And Faust, who just smiled at
Yoh and Anna with understanding. And the children, of course. The twins just
gave their parents and all the other grownups confused looks, while Keiko just
continued to frown off into space. Ren-chan, oblivious to everything, just
smiled innocently at everyone.
Yoh and Anna exchanged a look. Then, Anna turned to her still-frowning daughter.
"Keiko, are you still angry about yesterday?" She asked softly.
"Hai." Keiko said without looking at her mother. She continued to frown off into
space.
Yoh gave a sigh. "Your mother and I have explained it all to you already, didn't
we?"
This time, Keiko turned and glared at her father. "No, you didn't." She said
pointedly.
Yoh winced, then he turned to his wife and gave her a pleading look. Rolling her
eyes at her husband, Anna told Keiko, "Your father and I wanted to have some
quality time together, alone. Just the two of us. I told you this last night,
didn't I?"
"Yes. But I don't understand why I can't be allowed to be with you on your
qualitime," Keiko gave her mother a hurt look.
Anna smiled at her daughter fondly. "Quality time. Occasionally, your Touchan
and I need to spend a couple of hours together, just the two of us, without any
of you kids. It's designed to...strengthen our relationship with each other."
She explained.
"Without me?" Keiko wondered, looking up at her father, then, at her mother.
"And without Yohmaru Oniichan and Yohnta Oniichan and Ren-chan?"
"Hai." Yoh gave a nod, patting Keiko's blonde head.
"Hmm..." The three-year-old girl scrunched up her face thoughtfully. "Ne,
Touchan, Kaachan..." she said tentatively, "do you do fun things on your
qualitime?" She gave her parents a curious look.
Every single one of their friends started coughing loudly at that statement.
Anna gave them all a withering glare, which ceased the coughing in an instant.
Then, turning back to Keiko, she said, "Hai. Your Touchan and I do fun things
during our quality time." She smiled at her daughter, then gave everyone a look
that said, "if anyone of you so much as breathes wrong, you will all die a very
painful death."
Keiko's face brightened at this and she jumped up excitedly. "Kaachan...can you
and Touchan teach me and Yohmaru Oniichan and Yohnta Oniichan and Ren-chan all
the fun stuff that you do?" She looked up at her parents like an eager puppy.
Everyone choked loudly at this as they tried to hold back their coughing.
Anna groaned mentally, but she smiled at her daughter. Then, she turned to her
husband and gave him a look. Yoh replied to this by looking back at her blankly
and scratching his head. She gave an exasperated sigh. "Keiko...I know it's your
birthday and everything today, but something like that..." her voice trailed off
as she found herself completely at a loss for the right words. "Something like
that..."
"...is not for someone of your age to know just yet," Yoh supplied helpfully,
grinning at his daughter, and then, at his wife. "You'll need to be like,
thirteen years older to be able to understand it," he added, patting his
daughter's cheek affectionately. "Once you reach the age of sixteen, your
Kaachan and I will tell you everything you want to know about it!" He smiled at
Keiko. "Alright?"
The little girl pouted for a while, and then, finally, she nodded. "Hai!" Then,
she sat up, and, reaching for both parents, gave them both a big hug and a kiss
each. "Aishiteru yo, Touchan, Kaachan," she whispered against their faces.
Yoh and Anna exchanged a smile from above Keiko's head as they both hugged their
daughter close. "Aishiteru yo, Keiko," Yoh whispered to his daughter.
Aishiteru yo, he mouthed to his wife.
"Aishiteru yo, Keiko," Anna whispered softly to Keiko, and returned her
husband's declaration by leaning forward and giving him a soft kiss on the lips.
"Aishiteru, Yoh. Always." She murmured against his lips.
Yohmaru and Yohnta, beside their parents, exchanged a confused look upon
witnessing this scene...and the coughing that had ensued before it.
"I don't understand it." Yohnta muttered, scratching his head as he stared at
his parents and his sister. "I really don't."
Yohmaru gave a shrug. "...me neither," he told his twin. "Maybe we'll know in
thirteen years. That's what Touchan told Keiko-chan," he suggested.
His twin nodded. "...yeah, alright." Yohnta said, still not fully convinced.
"Well," Hao spoke up cheerfully when everyone fell silent. "That was quite a
heartwarming scene, Yoh, Anna, Keiko-chan..." he gave his brother, his
sister-in-law, and his niece a fond look. "Now, since it's Keiko-chan's birthday
today, why don't we all give her a big OMEDETTO OTANJOUBI GOZAIMASU? Ne?" He
smiled at everyone, and gave his little niece a grin.
Keiko shot him a glare.
Hao drooped like a weird flower. "Ah," he said sadly. "You're still angry at me
because of yesterday, ne?" He asked his niece.
The little blond-haired girl nodded without batting an eyelash or decreasing her
glares. "You were a meanie."
The long-haired shaman gave a nod. "So I was," he agreed sadly. "But everyone
deserves forgiveness, and Uncle Hao is no different, ne?" He gave Keiko a
hopeful look.
The little girl shook her head. "I'm still angry at you, Uncle Hao." She
declared. "I can't forgive you just yet." She gave her uncle an apologetic look.
"Gomen ne." She added quietly.
Hao gave a faint smile. "...hai. I understand." After that last statement, he
was quiet for some time. The lack of forgiveness from his favorite niece, his
-only- niece, obviously hit him hard.
Yoh smiled sympathetically at his brother, then, turning to everyone else, he
asked, "What's with all the coughing just a little while ago, you guys?"
At this, everyone started coughing again. The coughing was punctuated with
blushes and averted eyes, Anna noted. She also noticed that aside from Hao and
Opacho, Faust, Ryu, and Jun were not participating in the coughing frenzy.
"What's up with this?" She asked Ryu.
The tall shaman shrugged. "No idea, Okami."
Anna looked at Jun questioningly. "Nope, no idea either." Jun answered
cheerfully.
Sighing, Anna turned to Faust expectantly. "You know what this is all about, I
presume?"
The blonde doctor nodded. "Hai, Anna-san." He knew it quite well, for he was
there when everyone else found out about it. Unlike everyone else, though, he
didn't think of it as something embarrassing at all. In fact, he understood it.
As a doctor, he understood it quite perfectly...
~*Flashback: Yesterday Afternoon*~
"Could you tell me again why we're all here?" Lyserg asked Ren for the the tenth
time that afternoon. There were several steps away from the front door of the
Asakura living quarters--the place where Ren was positively sure the couple
were.
Ren inclined his head down at the little blonde-haired girl. "Because she asked
us all to look for those two. And I have a really good hunch that those two are
hiding somewhere in here," He answered, pointing his thumb at the front door of
the living quarters.
"But Uncle Ren..." Keiko pulled on the Chinese shaman's sleeve, "we've already
looked there a million times. And we didn't find them at all. How can they be
-in- there...?" she wondered, frowning slightly.
Ren smiled down at the little girl and patted her head affectionately. "Just
trust Uncle Ren, ne?" Then, turning back to the others, he said, "let's go in,
shall we?"
Everyone nodded in unison. The dark blue-haired shaman turned the doorknob and
swung the door open. Then, he moved aside to let the others go in before he
followed close behind.
Just before he walked inside the room, a soft, warm hand pulled on his wrist
gently. "Wait, Ren-kun..." A soft, gentle voice that he had known for some time,
and had loved for six years, called his name. Pilica. Ren could feel his
cheeks getting hot.
Gathering up the minute courage he had as of the moment, he turned around. She
was holding Ren-chan in her arms. Ren-chan, his namesake. Ren-chan, his favorite
nephew. The little boy had his arms around the Ainu woman's graceful neck, and
he was also playing with her beautiful hair, touching every strand with utmost
adoration. "Y...yeah?" Ren managed, quite perfectly aware of the fact that he
was staring at her. Heck, he was probably drooling, as well...
"Do you really think they're -in- there?" Pilica asked him, her dark blue
eyes...very beautiful eyes...looking up at him questioningly.
Fighting the urge to run away for fear that he might do something...weird, Ren
took a deep breath. Then, he looked squarely into her eyes and spoke, "That's
what we're here for--to find out," managing a small smile, he added, "so we
might as well go in. Ne?"
This time, it was Pilica who blushed. Honestly, his smile is going to be the
end of me...she nodded slightly. "Right." She agreed.
The Ainu woman stepped inside the room, holding Ren-chan in her arms, and with
Ren behind her.
As soon as they got in, they found everyone standing near the bathroom quietly.
They all seemed to be listening to something. "So, did you find out where...?"
"SSSSSHHHHH!!!" Ren was interrupted mid-sentence as all his friends
simultaneously shushed him. He and Pilica exchanged a curious look, then he
leaned closer towards towards Lyserg. "What's with all this?" He whispered to
his friend.
The green-haired Englishman gave him a meaningful look. "We just found out where
those two are." He whispered back.
"Where?" Ren asked.
Lyserg pointed his thumb at the bathroom door. "Listen closely."
The Chinese shaman strained his ears a bit...and a couple of voices became
distinguishable. Two voices, to be exact.
"Don't scream. The whole place will hear us," A male voice that sounded like...Yoh.
A very husky Yoh. "Just a little more..."
"I won't...oh, I swear, I'll kill you after this..." A female voice--Anna, no
doubt. A very moany, very sultry Anna. "Do it already, come on..."
"Alright, alright..."
"Dammit, Yoh, I really -will- kill you if you don't..." Anna's voice got muffled
like something was covering her mouth. After a few minutes, she spoke again, in
a very breathless voice. "A kiss cannot solve this, believe me."
A laugh. "I just thought I'd try. You liked it. Didn't you?"
"You know what I'd like?" A pause. "I'd like for you to stop teasing me and get
it over with!"
"Okay, I will..." A couple of splashes, then several sighs and moans...and
finally, a loud scream, courtesy of Anna, was heard.
After a couple of minutes, there was another splash. "God...that was
unbelievable."
A laugh. "Yup. You shouldn't have screamed, though."
"Can you blame me? It was very...good."
"I know."
"Idiot."
"TOUCHAN! KAACHAN!" Losing her patience, Keiko banged on the bathroom door and
shouted out to her parents. "WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING? ARE YOU HURT?"
Ren could swear he heard the two inside the bathroom groan simultaneously.
"Keiko-chan, don't shout..." Yohmaru told his sister.
"But...but..." Keiko struggled. "Touchan and Kaachan..." her voice faded as she
gazed at the bathroom door with concern.
The grownups strained their ears a little further.
"Guess we've been found, huh?"
"That was Keiko...wasn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Damn."
Another laugh. "Yeah. I was having so much fun, too..."
"This is no time to laugh, Yoh."
"Hai, I know. Still, it's kind of funny how they managed to find us like
this..."
A sigh. "I think Keiko's been outside for quite a while. And I think she has
everyone with her."
"Yoh-kun? Anna-san?" Manta knocked tentatively on the door. "...you're in there,
right?"
"Yup, she does, alright." A pause. "That was Manta. Yup, we're here. We'll be
right out!" Yoh called out the last two statements to the door.
"Dammit." A couple of loud splashes were heard, once again. "We need to get out
now."
"Awww...do we have to...?" Then, there was a loud, banging sound. "ITAI! What
was that for?"
"Yoh, we need to get out NOW."
A sniff. "Fine." Another sniff. "I only wanted to hug you one last time. You
didn't have to hit me."
"Hmph." A long pause. "...our clothes are wet. I almost forgot..."
"Hmm...isn't that your...ummm," Yoh gave a slight cough, "...by the window,
Anna?"
"Shut up," was the reply. "Isn't that...thing by the doorknob yours, Yoh?"
"How'd that get there?"
"I think I might have thrown it there. Or you might have. Who knows?"
"...okay." A pause. "I think we might have some clothes somewhere here..."
Ren and the rest of his friends outside, along with Yoh and Anna's children,
listened in for a good couple of minutes more as some shuffling noises and some
inaudible whispering were heard from inside the bathroom. Every single one of
the grownups exchanged knowing looks. Beside the door, the twins waited
impatiently. In front of the door, meanwhile, stood Keiko, who was fidgeting and
looking up at it expectantly. Only Ren-chan, who was still in Pilica's arms, and
oblivious to everything that was happening, remained sweetly and innocently
smiling.
After several more minutes, the shuffling noises stopped. The grownups outside
the bathroom door strained their ears once more.
"Thank god we -have- these."
A laugh. "Yeah. You look good in one of my shirts."
"...shut up." Anna paused slightly. "Let's go." More shuffling noises. "Thank
god we keep the undergarments here." She muttered.
Yoh laughed again. "Uh-huh. It would've been a lot more fun if you wore nothing
underneath my clothes, though..."
"Hentai."
"...and proud of it!" He gave another laugh. "Come on."
"I think they're coming out..." Lyserg murmured as he listened in. He gave
everyone a warning look. "Uh...it really wouldn't be proper if they found all of
us here and realize that we were listening in while they were doing...um," he
blushed slightly.
"You're right," Manta agreed. "Everyone, let's...go to the living room, or
something..."
Ren rolled his eyes. "You guys, it's not like they don't already know that we've
been listening since..." He stopped mid-sentence when the door to the bathroom
swung open, and out came Yoh, dressed in a white nightshirt and pants, with Anna
behind him, dressed in similar fashion--except for the fact that her husband's
clothing was quite loose on her, for she kept adjusting and readjusting her
shirt.
Everyone just stared at the two of them for a while. "Uh...hi, everyone," Yoh
greeted tentatively. "I understand you were looking for us."
All their friends were dead silent. They were all blushing, too--except for
Faust, who just gave the couple a knowing grin.
It was Lyserg who recovered from his embarrassment first. "Actually, it was
Keiko-chan who was looking for you," he inclined his head down to the little
blonde-haired girl.
Anna smiled at her daughter as casually as she could manage, then, in order to
save herself from embarrassment, she turned and glared at everyone else. "I see.
So -what- exactly are you -all- doing here, then?"
"We were helping her look for you two." Horo-horo muttered, flinching at the
blonde woman's hard glare.
"Ah," Yoh nodded with understanding. "Okay. Then you all deserve a thanks, ne?"
He grinned casually at all of his friends. "I'm really sorry we took a long time
to answer you guys. Anna and I were kind of...busy." He placed an arm around his
wife's waist, which earned him a blush and a glare from the latter. He just
smiled sweetly at her.
Yohmaru looked up at his father curiously. "What were you and Kaachan doing in
the bathroom, Touchan?" His twin also gazed at their father curiously.
"We were uhm..." Yoh scratched his head, and then he grinned at his twin sons.
"...having fun. Yeah. That's what we were doing."
~*End Flashback*~
"I personally don't understand why you're all embarrassed," Hao, who had finally
recovered from his sad state, commented. "It's a natural thing that all couples
do, I believe." He shot his brother and his sister-in-law a look. "Ne?"
Anna shot him a glare that could smash a million mirrors to pieces. Yoh just
gave his brother a big grin.
"You'd be embarrassed too, if you heard what we heard," Ren muttered under his
breath. There was something that was confusing here, though...it was the fact
that all of them were more embarrassed than Yoh and Anna, even though they
weren't the ones who were practically caught in the act...
Anna gave Ren a pointed look. "And what -exactly- did you hear?"
The Chinese shaman winced. "Nothing," he said quickly. Except for a couple of
moans and you screaming, I didn't hear anything, he thought to himself.
"Never mind that," Yoh said dismissively. "Just forget about it, you guys. I
promise we'll never do it again." He vowed, crossing his fingers behind his back
just in case. "Now let's just all eat and drink and have fun, because today's
Keiko's birthday, and the first round of her celebration is coming right about
now!" He flashed his daughter a big grin. "Ne?"
Keiko bobbed her head excitedly. "Hai!"
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Take that! And that! AND THAT!" Horo-horo pressed on the PlayStation 2
controller's keys furiously without taking his eyes off the TV screen. On the
screen, his character, which was a blond-haired young man in blue and white,
attacked the opponent with a flashing sword. The opponent, which was a
brown-haired young man with a red bandanna on his head, landed on the ground in
a heap. After sometime, the words "You Win" flashed on the blond-haired young
man's side of the screen.
"HAH! I WIN!" Horo-horo raised the controller triumphantly into the
air as he looked at Chocolove arrogantly. The two of them, plus Yoh and Anna's
twin sons, were in the kids' playroom, entertaining themselves with the
PlayStation 2 while they waited for the final guest to arrive.
It was well past an hour after they had all eaten their brunch, and even though Keiko's birthday party celebration should have
supposedly started by now, the little girl just refused to begin it without her
favorite aunt present--namely, Jeanne, whom Keiko adored tremendously as much as
she adored Hao.
Or rather, -used- to.
Anyway, Anna and Yoh had given in to the birthday girl's decision and agreed to
hold off their daughter's party for a couple of hours more--at least until
Jeanne arrives. Everyone, of course, had no choice but to abide by this, which
was the reason why the Ainu man and the American man were now in the kids'
playroom. The twins had invited everyone to play with them, but only these two
agreed. All the women, plus Keiko, went somewhere else together. Yoh, Ren and
Manta, along with Ren-chan, were at the Asakura's private onsen. Ryu had
retreated to the kitchens while Faust went back to his office to take a nap, and
Lyserg and Hao had both declined the twins' offer for their own reasons.
"Hmm..." Chocolove stared at the TV screen thoughtfully while tapping his
fingers at the controller he was holding. "Guess Sol-Badguy's not such a strong
character, eh?" He said to Yohmaru and Yohnta.
Yohmaru shook his head at his uncle. "It's not that, Uncle Chocolove. You just
don't know how to play him. That game's got a tutorial thing, and since Uncle
Horo comes here quite often, he's got all of Ky Kiske's moves memorized." He
explained.
"Ky and Sol are pretty much equal in everything," Yohnta beside Yohmaru agreed.
"...except for their faces," Yohmaru told them. "Aunt Pilica says Ky is much
more good-looking than Sol. That's what Auntie Tamao says, too." He shrugged.
"Whatever that means."
Horo-horo gazed at Yohmaru. "Hmm...it looks like that...woman has taste, after
all..." He murmured thoughtfully.
Chocolove raised an eyebrow at him. "Who? Pilica or Tamao?"
"Tamao." Horo-horo answered. "I already know my sister's taste in men. I'm not
particularly thrilled, about it, though." He frowned deeply as he thought of Ren.
"-He's- not really who I would have chosen for Pilica, but...well, it's too late
now..." She's fallen for him. She's fallen pretty hard, and I don't think I
can't stop her right now even if I tried...
"Why are you so interested in Tamao's taste in men?" Chocolove looked at the
Ainu man curiously.
"I'M NOT!" Horo-horo said defensively. "I just wondered, that's all. And
besides, Yohmaru mentioned it." He gave the boy a look. "Didn't you?"
Yohmaru nodded. "Uh-huh. I did."
Chocolove peered at the Ainu man critically. "Really..."
Horo-horo rolled his eyes. He was tired of everyone pushing him towards the
pink-haired fortune teller. Most especially Yoh's lunatic twin brother, who had
even offered him a month's use of his limo if Horo-horo figures out what the
long-haired shaman meant by the statement: "The one telling the fortunes is much
more interesting than the fortunes she tells." He had obviously been talking
about Tamao, and that weirded the Ainu out. -She- wasn't very interesting. She
was a very boring fortune teller. Sure--she was pretty and all that, but other
than the face...there was nothing else. He wasn't interested in her at all, and
it was quite obvious that she wasn't interested in him either.
He -did- love annoying her, though. He also loved irritating her. It made him
feel sort of...superior, whenever she got annoyed or irritated at him. And
besides, it was so much fun to get her angry. She was -incredibly- pretty when
she was angry. Her rose-colored eyes sort of...flashed like gemstones, and her
cheeks...pinked quite adorably whenever she was angry...
But he wasn't interested in her at all. Nope, he definitely wasn't. "Yeah,
really." The Ainu man threw Chocolove a pointed look. Changing the subject, he
said to the American shaman, "So...how come you're not making any jokes lately?"
At this, Chocolove gave a dark frown. "Funny you should mention it," He said.
"It's really strange. I haven't been in the mood to make fun of anyone, not even
Ren..."
Horo-horo snorted. "Well, you'd better get your act together fast, else that
lunatic brother of Yoh's will take over your throne."
"That's never gonna happen." Chocolove declared arrogantly. He pumped out his
chest. "Mood or no, I'm still the best comedian this world has ever seen!"
"Let's hope it stays that way." Horo-horo muttered. He then waved the controller
he was holding. "You up for another game?"
Chocolove nodded. "...sure. But I'm gonna have Yohmaru and Yohnta help me out so
I'll win." He gazed at the twins. "You'll help me, right?"
"Sure, Uncle Chocolove." Yohnta nodded.
"Yeah. Sure." Yohmaru agreed.
"Alright. Let's go then." Horo-horo told them with a grin.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"I think it's raining outside." Manta murmured as he relaxed his small body
deeper into the hot water.
Little Ren-chan laughed as he waded eagerly in the onsen.
"Hmm..." Yoh gazed at his youngest son thoughtfully. "It's strange...every
single time it's my daughter's birthday, it always rains during late in the
morning until early in the afternoon. I wonder why."
"It's just a coincidence, Yoh," Ren, who was watching his nephew, told his
friend.
"Well, it was also raining like this when Anna was giving birth to Keiko...maybe
it's a tribute to her." The brown-haired shaman mused. "You know...to
Keiko...and maybe to Anna, as well..."
Manta laughed. "Maybe it's a tribute to their temperaments," he suggested.
"Anna's stormy, and Keiko-chan is sunny and stormy, all at the same time.
Earlier today, the sun was shining brightly. It's raining right now, but later
this afternoon, it's probably going to be sunny again."
Yoh smiled at his best friend. "You know, you're probably right." he agreed.
Little Ren-chan gave an eager clap as he was raised up into the air, and then,
cradled into the arms of his Uncle Ren. "Don't try to think too much about this,
Yoh," He said to his friend. "It's not good for you." He added with a teasing
grin.
Yoh smiled good-naturedly. "Yeah, alright." Everyone was always telling him -not- to
think too much about anything... "Speaking of thinking, what about you? I heard
you were quite edgy yesterday. You know--before you and everyone else started
looking for Anna and me."
Ren blushed at this, but he soon recovered. "It's nothing," he muttered. "I just
saw something at breakfast that I didn't particularly like, that's all. Anyway,
what's important is that I'm over it now." Not really over it, though...more
like "given up." That thing about my sister and Ryu, it's out of my hands now...
"Chocolove said you even shouted," Yoh continued. "Not that it was out of the
ordinary with you, especially when it comes to him or Horo-horo, but he
mentioned that...you even shouted at Pilica, as well." He gave his friend a
meaningful look.
It was in times like this when the likeness between Yoh and his twin was very
visible. If there was one thing, aside from looks, that Yoh and Hao shared in
their personalities, it was the perceptiveness. The uncanny, practically
omniscient, and accuracy to the point of annoyance perceptiveness of the twin
brothers was astounding.
And Ren found it absolutely disconcerting, due to the fact that his friend (and
his friend's twin brother) were both very aware of -his- feelings, and lately, -they- were making it a point
to let -him- know how very much aware -they-
are of those feelings...
"So...why did you shout at her?" Yoh persisted. "I know for a fact that you've
been...after her for a long time, and...-you- shouting at -her-..." he scratched
his head. "It just weirds me out."
Ren blushed, and he groaned mentally. First, it was Hao at the onsen
yesterday, and now, Yoh...can't these twins ever leave me alone? "It was an
accident," he said quietly. "It was only supposed to be Horo-horo and Chocolove,
and she just happened to be there. By the time I realized it, it was too late.
I've already shouted." He finished lamely.
Yoh chuckled at the defeated expression on his friend's face. He gave Ren a pat
on the back. "Don't worry about it. It'll all work out, somehow." He gave his
friend a reassuring grin.
The Chinese shaman smiled faintly at his friend. The difference between these
twins is the fact that...one is an extreme positivist, while the other is very
pessimistic about other people. Yoh tells me it'll all work out, while Hao tells
me I'm hopeless...he sighed. Either way, the end result for me is the
same. I'll tell her tonight...just to prove to that lunatic that I'm not the
hopeless case he thinks I am. After all, if Yoh thinks it'll all work out, then
it'll all work out...somehow.
"Oh, and Manta," Yoh grinned at his best friend. "Good luck with that tournament
of yours." He gave his friend a meaningful look. "I'm sure you'll win against
Opacho."
Manta pinked a little bit and looked at Yoh incredulously. "Hao-kun told you
that Opacho was my opponent, didn't he?"
Yoh smiled in an oddly Hao-like fashion. "My brother and I have no secrets from
each other. At least, not anymore. He tells me everything." He paused. "And I
tell him everything."
"Other than the details about your sex life, I'm sure." Ren said sarcastically
as he gave Ren-chan, who was splashing the water happily, a pat on the head.
Yoh scratched his head and grinned. "...yeah. Except that, of course."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Ne...when will it stop raining?" The little blonde-haired girl known as Asakura
Keiko muttered as she frowned darkly out the window. She was on her parents'
bedroom, sitting on top of their folded futon with her chin resting on both
palms. "I hate rain...it shouldn't be raining when it's my birthday, it's not
fair..." she pouted.
From the other side of the room, near the dresser, Anna smiled at her daughter.
"It'll stop later this afternoon, Keiko, I'm sure it will." She walked towards
Keiko, bent down and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "Now quit pouting like
that; it makes you look like you're ninety-three instead of three."
Keiko raised her eyes up at her mother and managed a small smile. "Kaachan..."
she began quietly, "when is Auntie Jeanne coming?"
Anna sat down on top of the futon beside her daughter and sighed. "I don't
know," she said honestly. "It isn't like her to be this late, ne?" She paused.
"But I'm sure she'll get here soon." She gave her daughter a reassuring smile.
The little blonde-haired girl sighed in the same way her mother had. "Is Auntie
Tamao with Aunt Pilica and Aunt Jun?" She asked, looking around for her other
three aunts.
Her mother nodded. "Your Auntie Tamao wanted to check the board again, and your
Aunt Pilica and Aunt Jun came with her."
"...okay." Keiko sighed, folded her legs together and leaned against her
mother's shoulder. "Kaachan...why does it always rain on my birthday...?" She
murmured questioningly.
"Well..." Anna looked up thoughtfully, wrapping her arms around her daughter.
"It was raining when I was giving birth to you...did you know that?" She smiled
and stroked the little girl's hair.
Keiko shook her head.
"It was." Anna nodded. "And then, when you were finally born, the rain was just
about to end. When Uncle Faust finally brought your father in to see you...the
sun was already shining brightly." She smiled at the memory.
The little girl smiled up at her mother. "Kaachan...what does that mean?"
Anna chuckled as she stroked her daughter's hair. "It means that the heavens are
probably celebrating along with us for another year in your life. The rain is an
initial tribute to you." She paused. "And later on, when the sun shines again,
it means that the heavens are in their second stage of celebration."
"Ne...is all of that really true?" Keiko looked up at her mother hopefully.
The blonde woman gave the little girl a confident smile. "Hai. And if you really
want to be sure...we could always ask the Great Spirits, ne?"
Keiko nodded. "Hai!" She said with a bright smile.
"Anna-sama..." A voice was heard from the front door, coupled with a soft knock.
"We've finished checking out the board. May we come in?" It was obviously Tamao,
with Pilica and Jun.
"Hai." Anna called out to the front door. "We're in the bedroom."
As soon as Tamao appeared in the bedroom doorway, Keiko jumped and ran to her.
"What did the board say, Auntie Tamao?" She asked eagerly.
Tamao smiled down at the little girl. "Auntie Jeanne will be arriving in less
than two hours. Just be patient, ne?"
Keiko's face fell. "Two hours?"
Pilica smiled at her sympathetically. "Hai." She bent down and patted the little
girl's cheek affectionately. "I have an idea. Why don't we all help you dress up
really prettily so that when Auntie Jeanne arrives, you'll be able to greet her
and she'll be really happy...ne?"
Jun smiled at the younger woman. "Good idea." She then turned to the little
girl. "Keiko-chan, your Auntie Tamao, Aunt Pilica, and your Kaachan and I will
help you dress and fix yourself up so you can look really pretty for Auntie
Jeanne, alright?"
Keiko smiled at her two aunts. "Hai!" Then, she paused and scrunched her face up
thoughtfully. "But...Aunt Jun, you and Auntie Tamao and Aunt Pilica and Kaachan
should also dress up real pretty like me!" She smiled excitedly at all of them.
"Ne?"
The four women laughed and gave the little girl fond looks.
"Aunt Jun, you should dress up real pretty so that...Uncle Ryu would stop
running away and hold you and dance with you instead!" Keiko proclaimed
cheerfully.
Jun smiled at the other three women, then patted the little girl's head. "Good
girl. You know your Aunt Jun well, ne?"
"Hai!" Keiko bobbed her head. "And Aunt Pilica, you should dress up real pretty
so that...Uncle Ren can finally declare his undying love for you!" The little
blonde-haired girl sighed and dropped down dreamily on top of the futon, but she
managed to grin at her aunt.
Pilica started blushing furiously at this. "Anna-san...are you sure Keiko-chan's
only three?" She asked the blonde woman. She shook her head, attempting to cease
her blushing. "I mean...how does she know about..." her voice faded. Ren-kun...undying
love...for me? It made her heart stop...
"AND!" Keiko jumped up from the futon and smiled sweetly at the pink-haired
fortune teller. "Auntie Tamao, you should dress up real pretty so that Uncle
Horo...can make up his mind about you!"
Tamao gazed at the little girl in amazement. Make up his mind about me? What
in the world...?
She turned to Anna. "Anna-sama...how does Keiko-chan know about these
things...?" She wondered.
Anna, who was still sitting on top of the futon, shook her head. "I don't know."
She gave a frown. "I have my suspicions, though..."
"AND KAACHAN!" Keiko hopped and wrapped her arms happily around her mother. "You
should dress up real pretty too so that when Touchan sees you he'll fall in love
with you all over again and again and when that happens, me and Yohmaru Oniichan
and Yohnta Oniichan and Ren-chan will get a little brother or sister or both!"
She exclaimed, all in one breath.
Her mother turned beet red at this declaration. "Keiko...where did you learn all
this stuff?" She exchanged a curious look with the other three women. "And be
honest," she added sternly.
Keiko stopped hopping and pouted thoughtfully. "Uncle Hao told me all about it,"
She answered. "He told me about you and Uncle Ryu, Aunt Jun, and he also told me
about Uncle Ren's undying love for Aunt Pilica but I don't really know what that
means." She paused. "And he also told me about Uncle Horo and Auntie Tamao and
about you and Touchan, Kaachan but I didn't really understand most of it." The little girl added. "And
then he also told me
about Uncle Lyserg and Auntie Jeanne and their forbidden love and Kaachan,
what's forbidden mean?" She looked up at her mother curiously.
Anna rolled her eyes and sighed with resignation. "It means...something that's
not allowed, Keiko." She shook her head. "...that lunatic. Filling my daughter's
head with these things...I should have known."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hmm..." Hao inched closer towards Lyserg and sniffed him suspiciously. "...you
haven't taken a bath yet, have you?"
The green-haired Englishman winced, then he glared at the long-haired shaman and
inched away. "That is none of your business." He went back to staring out at the
window in the Tea Room, sighing repeatedly every minute or so.
Hao folded his arms across his chest and observed the other man thoughtfully.
"Her absence is really affecting you a lot, ne?"
Lyserg ignored him. He continued to look out at the window, frowning with
concern at the raindrops that still refused to stop falling. "She's going to get
really, really drenched. I do hope she brought an umbrella with her..." he
murmured to himself.
"You should really take a bath, Lyserg-kun. I can smell you from all the way
across this room." Hao remarked, still observing the Englishman keenly.
Lyserg whipped about and gave him a very dark and menacing glare. "I do -not-
smell," he retorted hotly, "and even if I -did-, I don't see how any of that is
your problem."
"Ah, but it is," Hao countered smoothly. "I told you, I can smell you from all
the way here--"
"THEN GO AWAY!" The Englishman snapped. "Go to your room, or go up to the
penthouse or wherever, I don't care, just LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Hao sighed, then looked out the window thoughtfully. "I can't do that." He said
simply.
"WHY THE HELL NOT?"
"Because it's raining," Hao answered matter-of-factly, pointing his thumb
outside. "I'll get wet in the penthouse. And it's very boring in my room." He
added with a casual toss of his hair.
Lyserg rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Well then...just SHUT UP and leave me
the HELL alone! I need peace and quiet."
"I can't do that."
"WHY THE BLOODY HELL NOT?" The Englishman growled with annoyance.
Hao sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically. "Because it's BORING, Lyserg-kun."
He answered. "I really need someone to talk to, and you're my only option."
Cursing, Lyserg looked up at the sky. "Why me?" He muttered to the
heavens. Giving a resigned
sigh, he turned to the long-haired shaman. "Why me?" He repeated, louder this
time.
Hao shrugged. "Because."
The green-haired young man gave an exasperated sigh and looked around. "Why
don't you just talk to Opacho? Please...just...not me, okay? I mean...alright!"
He exhaled. "I think Keiko-chan's just a little angry with you about yesterday.
But knowing her, it'll probably pass. Just...let it be for a while, okay?" He
told the other man succinctly.
The long-haired shaman looked at him in surprise. "How did you know that -that-
was what I was going to ask?"
Lyserg sighed again. "It's one of the few things I know of that could bother
you," He answered impatiently.
"Hmm." Hao looked thoughtfully out the window again. "I hate having her mad at
me." He said with a sigh.
"I know." Lyserg looked back out the window as well.
"But I have my priorities."
"I know."
"Arigatou."
"Yeah, whatever, you're welcome." Lyserg sighed again for the umpteenth time. "NOW will you
leave me alone?" He looked at the long-haired shaman with a half-hopeful,
half-murderous expression on his face.
Hao shook his head and flashed the other man his trademark grin. "Iie. Not a
chance." He said cheerfully.
Lyserg gave a loud groan and he held up his hands in defeat. "Why the HELL
won't you leave me alone?" He moaned.
"NOT unless..." Hao continued, grinning brightly, "...you promise
-me- that you'll take a bath and
shave and change your clothes and make yourself more presentable to my eyes." He
finished triumphantly.
"Why the bloody HELL does it matter to you if I'm..." Lyserg stopped mid-sentence as he
realized what Hao had just said. "...alright. Fine! I'm going! I'm taking a bath, I'm
shaving, and I'm changing my clothes." He said grudgingly. "And I'd better not
find you here when I come back." He told the other man warningly.
Hao sat down primly on one of the chairs, laid one leg on top of the other, and,
shaking his head,
grinned at the Englishman. "Nope. I'm not leaving here until I'm sure that you
did what I asked you to do."
"Dammit." Lyserg muttered under his breath. "What the hell am I doing following
-this- guy's orders? I'm supposed to be killing him." But he shook his head. "Ahh,
what the hell..." He walked out of the Tea Room and headed out to the hallway,
and used the elevator to get to the floor where his room was.
Less than an hour later...
"Lyserg-kun, is that you?" Hao, who had not moved in his seat the whole time
Lyserg was up in his room and doing what he was asked to do, called out to the
doorway.
"Yeah, it's me." Lyserg stepped inside the Tea Room, looking fresh-faced,
freshly-shaven, and freshly-clothed. His hair was also a little bit damp. He
walked towards the windows and raised an eyebrow at the long-haired shaman,
while folding his arms across his chest. "Is this good enough?"
Hao stood up and sniffed him. Then, the man walked around Lyserg and surveyed
him thoughtfully from head to toe for about a minute. "...yup, definitely
better," The long-haired shaman said with approval. "You've somehow managed to
nicely turn yourself from the remnants of a street bum to a respectable
gentleman. I'm impressed." He grinned. "Now I understand why that nun is so
heavily involved in a forbidden relationship with you. Why, if I were a woman, I
would have gone for you myself..."
Lyserg blushed. "She is -not- a nun, and we are -not- in a forbidden
relationship," he said defensively. Then, upon noting the final comment, he
added, "And what the hell is your point?"
"Nothing, nothing," Hao waved his hand dismissively. "I was just complimenting
you on your looks. You could give my Otouto and I a run for our money,
honestly."
"Could you leave me alone now?" Lyserg gave the long-haired shaman the same
half-hopeful, half-murderous look he had given earlier.
Hao looked up thoughtfully. "Well, gee. Let's see..." He tapped his finger on
his chin. "...nope. Not yet." He said with a huge grin.
"AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH! DAMMIT!" Lyserg groaned, smashing his fist against the
window. He then turned and glared at Hao. "If you're not going to leave me
alone, then I'm the one's who's leaving!" And with that, he stepped out of the
Tea Room towards the hallway and walked fast towards the lobby.
"Where are you going, Lyserg-kun?" Hao called out.
"ANYWHERE YOU'RE NOT!" Lyserg shouted back. He stepped towards the front door
and viciously pulled on his boots, grabbed his overcoat and prepared to go
outside...somewhere else...anywhere, as long as Hao wasn't there...
As soon as he stepped forward and reached for the knob of the front door, it
abruptly swung open , and a lithe figure in a black hooded overcoat and carrying two suitcases
walked in.
Unfortunately, because he was so busy pulling on his clothes and
making sure that the long-haired shaman didn't follow him, Lyserg didn't see
this coming...and so, he ended up crashing into the person who was walking in
just as he was walking out. The two
of them ended up losing their balance and collapsing on the floor in a heap,
with him on the surface of the floor, and the figure in black on top of him.
"Ouch..." Lyserg groaned. He raised his head up and rubbed his temples,
wondering who the -hell- he managed to collide with...
The person in black raised his head and shook off the hood of his coat,
revealing a long, silky mass of silvery-blue hair...and when the said person
raised his...
Wait...
Just a minute...
Hold on a second...
Long, silky mass of silvery-blue hair...?
...!?!?!?
...HER!
And when the said person raised...HER eyes to meet Lyserg's...a multitude of
emotions flashed across the Englishman's face--part surprise, part confusion,
part awe, part embarrassment, part relief, and part...joy were only a couple of
these emotions, for there were more...a lot more.
"...Jeanne?" Lyserg finally spoke in a voice he couldn't recognize...for it
certainly wasn't his own. His voice was a little bit higher, sounded a lot more
confident, and was definitely more...solid. The voice he heard wasn't his at all,
for it was very low, extremely shaky...and incredibly hoarse--in a bad way. In a very,
very, -very- bad way...
But...this is her. This is definitely her. She's here. She's finally here.
Finally.
Finally...
"Lyserg...?" That soft, melodious voice. Oh, yes...this is her. This is
-definitely- her.
"You're here." Lyserg managed in that shaky, hoarse voice. He was still on the
floor. She was still on top of him. He couldn't move. She wasn't moving.
He didn't -want- to move.
A brief nod. "Yes. I am." Jeanne. This is Jeanne. She is talking. Jeanne is
talking. She's saying that yes, she's here. She's definitely here.
Definitely.
"I'm late." She flashed him an apologetic smile, her eyes shining
like...like...scarlet jewels. Like gemstones. Like rubies. Like...
"Lyserg?" She's talking. She's talking to you. "I'm sorry." She just
apologized. She just apologized to you.
Lyserg Diethyl, answer her, dammit!
"For what?" He asked, his voice still incredibly hoarse and shaky.
He still wasn't moving. He still didn't want to move.
He didn't want to look away either.
And then...she smiled again, very brightly.
No, he -definitely- didn't want to look away.
"I told you," She replied in that same, sweet musical voice, "...for being late. I'm
several days late. Aren't I?"
It doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here now.
Here, with me...
Jeanne's cheeks flushed a deep pink. "Thank you." She whispered.
....?!?
What did -I- say?
....no way.
No. Freaking. Way.
Did I say that out loud...?
I didn't.
Did I...?
"I missed you." Oh, god...did I just say that?
I did, didn't I?
Her cheeks flushed an even deeper pink. "...I missed you too." She said in a whisper.
Ahh, what the hell...
"...good." Lyserg said finally, gathering up his courage and managing a big smile.
He mentally patted himself on the back.
...good one, Diethyl.
TSUZUKU.
End notes:
Um...does this ending classify as a cliffhanger...? Just wondering...
Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews, once again.^_^ Next chapter will be up
hopefully by next week.
Uh...just to reassure everyone, might I stress that Hao will not be
paired up with anyone at all in this fic. He will remain as the bored,
matchmaking, and single but incredibly handsome lunatic billionaire.*grins* I
will never, ever, ever -ever- consider pairing him up with myself in any of the
fics I will write. The Apple-chanXHao pairing only exists in my mind...and in my
very hentai dreams...^^;;;
Disclaimer: Ky Kiske and Sol-Badguy are from the PS2 game Guilty Gear XX, and it
does not belong to me. For those who don't know, Guilty Gear XX is sort of a
Street-Fighter style kind of fighting game, except that the characters in Guilty
Gear were drawn anime-style (read: *beautifully* drawn). Ky Kiske is the
one of the *hottest* characters in this game (IMHO)...and he is voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa (Patch
Hao & Silva's seiyuu). And that's all you need to know.^_^
Ages of the characters in this fic (based from the manga, so hopefully it's
accurate) as of May 2009, which is the month and year [of this fic]:
Yoh/Hao = 23 years and 358 days old
Anna = 23 years and 10+months old (made her birthday June 12, 1985, since it
wasn't anywhere in the manga)
Manta = 23, turning 24 in September
Ryu = 28, turning 29 in December
Ren = 23 (January)
Jun = 27, turning 28 in October
Tamao = 22 years and 10+ months old
Horo-horo = 23, turning 24 in November
Pilica = 22 (February)
Faust = 43 (oh...he looks like he's still in his thirties, though^^)
Lyserg = 22 years and 353 days old
Chocolove = 23, turning 24 in October
Marco = 35, turning 36 in November (not that it's important as he doesn't appear
here anyways^^)
Jeanne = 19 (March)
Opacho = I don't know. She (he?)'s estimatedly younger than all of them. Let's
leave it at that.^^;;;
Reviews will be very much appreciated.