=Woooooo. Fluff is horrible! It will all be over soon, my beloved, er, revered... uh, friendly--readers. Heheh.=
Gilded Chocolate
-Part Three... (sycamore marshmallows and lipstick) Extenuation.-
***
Akira sat back in his chair, letting out a sigh and sinking into the soft, absorbent cushion. He lifted his glass, which was filled to the brim with a light red sake, and clinked it against Soujiro's.
"Kanpai."
The cheer was rather half-hearted, Soujiro noted, as he leaned back and let his gaze wander. The pair sat in a hotel room, where they had rendezvoused after a rather shallow night of drinking. They had gone to a lower-class, darker bar, where the women had been fewer in number and the shady drunks and pool-gamblers seemed to be more in abundance. Uncharacteristically, neither had found any woman worth their time after a few hours of dancing at nearby clubs, so they met, both without escorts, at midnight.
"It's not like Tsukasa to write, but I at least hoped he would call," Akira muttered at last, taking one long sip of the alcohol and shuddering slightly as the searing warmth ran down his throat. Soujiro nodded tiredly.
"Hoped..."
There was a silence as the two boys reclined into their own thoughts, until both were suddenly jolted from their intoxicated relaxation by a sharp ring. Setting his glass down on the coffee table and causing some of the liquid inside to splutter over the rim, Soujiro fumbled around the various pockets of his jacket before finding the source of the loud, piercing beep.
He flipped open the phone. "Hello?"
"Nishikado-san?" Soujiro blinked, recognizing the voice, but unable to place it in the slight fog of his mind.
"Makino?" he responded at last, earning a wide-eyed stare from his friend. He raised one finger to his lips and listened.
"Hello to you too!"
"Do you know what time it is?" Soujiro asked, raising one eyebrow. He almost snorted out a laugh as he heard Tsukasa muttering curses in the background, followed by a muffling of the phone and Makino's scolding yell. She came back with a huff.
"It was his idea to call now. I told him we should try later when it was morning there, but he insisted you would be awake," she responded, and Soujiro knew full well who 'he' referred to.
"He was right," Soujiro replied, twitching at the flatness of his voice. Tsukushi didn't seem to notice, however.
"Is Mimasaka-san there with you?" Soujiro unconsciously nodded his head, looking pointedly at Akira, who was now lounging impatiently.
"Yes, he is."
"Great! How are you?" She sounded absolutely jovial.
"I... we're fine," he replied, mentally slapping himself for sounding so bored. This was the call the pair had been waiting for, and there he was, probably making the poor girl uncomfortable.
"Oh, I see."
"Would you like to talk to Akira?" Soujiro said at last, hoping the other boy would have something more enthusiastic to say. As soon as he heard Tsukushi's affirmative, he handed over the phone to the very eager wavy-haired boy.
"Hello, Makino!" Akira half-shouted into the phone. Soujiro listened intently to the conversation, watching as Akira's somber face quickly morphed into a wide, playful grin. "Yes, there were a lot of them tonight, all beautiful, but none as beautiful as you! How is the cruise? That's great! Have you two... you know? No joke? Come on, he won't wait forever. How come you waited so long to call? Yeah, that's understandable. It's good you two are having fun, but next time don't take a month to update us. Uh huh. Soujiro? Sure."
Akira held out the phone. "She wants to talk to you."
Soujiro raised his eyebrows, tentatively taking it from his friend and holding it up to his ear.
"Are you all right?" Soujiro blinked, wondering why on Earth she would ask such a question.
"What do you mean?"
"You aren't spouting perversities or making sick jokes. So I ask again, are you doing okay?"
Soujiro could have laughed at her observations. It was true, he really did miss the pair; at least when Tsukasa had disappeared with Shigeru, the two boys still had Makino to entertain them, but with both their friends gone Soujiro hadn't been sure what to do with himself. He went to school less and partied more, but he was slowly beginning to realize just how much the girl brightened his days. And if her question was any indication, she was one of the few who really, truly gave a damn.
"You know... I wasn't doing so well. But now, I think I feel much better," Soujiro replied at last. He could hear Tsukushi's bewilderment over the phone, but he decided to refrain from explaining himself. "Is Tsukasa there?"
It was a silly question, but he wanted to hear his childhood friend's voice just as much as that of the loud, violent girl he had become almost close friends with.
"Hey, Soujiro!" Tsukasa's voice boomed through the phone, causing him to draw the speaker away from his ear in mock pain. Akira laughed from across the table.
"Yo, Tsukasa. Have you made your move yet?" Soujiro grinned widely at the blush he could almost hear.
"What!? Soujiro, you better shut your mouth!"
"I take that as a no?"
"Let me talk to Akira." Soujiro took the phone from his ear, passing it to his friend. After a brief conversation much to the same effect, the pair said their goodbyes and Soujiro hung up, returning the phone to his pocket.
"Do you miss them too?" Akira asked at last, sighing and swishing the contents of his glass about. Soujiro nodded slowly.
"That girl really is something, isn't she?"
Akira grinned, flicking some of his auburn hair from his eyes and reclining leisurely with one arm slung over the back of his chair. "She tamed the beast," he responded with a sly look.
Soujiro couldn't help but laugh before chuckling out, "More like complete pacification!"
Swallowing down the rest of their sake, the two boys spent the rest of their evening in relative good cheer, saving their more lustful desires for another night.
***
"I don't like America."
The second the pair had set foot in California, Tsukushi wanted to flee back to the ship away from the foreign language, the rude people, the unusual, personal space-invading customs, and the bizarre, overpowering environment which she had stepped into.
Their trip had been short, but definitely not sweet. Los Angeles had fascinated her at first with its loud Hollywood advertisements, tour buses, and the life with which it thrived, but soon she was overwhelmed by the language barrier, tired, and hungry. She sickened at the overabundance of the obese and the grunge in the air; after almost a month and a half on an open cruise ship, Tsukushi found herself unable to breathe amongst the massive buildings and fog of pollution.
They had planned to stay docked for three days and tour for two, but on the second day Tsukushi had refused to leave the ship once more, so Tsukasa was left to tour on his own. He had returned that evening to find her curled up in bed, fast asleep, at seven o'clock. The next morning, she had been all too happy to leave.
"I'm sorry you feel that way," Tsukasa's voice carried a scathingly sarcastic tone, "because we're going to be back in a month."
"What on Earth for?" Tsukushi asked.
"We're stopping in New York City."
"We have to?"
"That's the schedule. I suppose I can change it, if you want," Tsukasa conceded, tilting his head so it rested on his hand. Tsukushi shook her head.
"No, it's fine. There are other people on this cruise too, and I'm sure they all want to see it," she replied with a slight smile. It never failed to amuse and amaze him how even when she had the power to do something, she wouldn't if it negatively affected anyone else. She always had consideration for others at the forefront of her decisions.
Tsukasa sighed and nodded slowly, for he had long come to understand that trying to dissuade her from whatever school of thought she subscribed to was a pointless endeavor. That, and her selflessness had become extremely attractive to him.
The pair were sitting on the deck around the larger central pool, which, at that time, was filled to the brim with young couples having water fights, elderly people lounging against the sides, and small children splashing and diving with feverish delight. Tsukasa despised the ruckus of the whole thing--he much preferred swimming and playing games on the deck when the smaller pool was reserved for just the two of them--but Tsukushi seemed to enjoy the very moment he despised. She was reclined in her lawn chair with a pair of sunglasses, watching the various pool interactions with a broad smile. Wisely Tsukasa figured the spectacle reminded her somewhat of her 'commoner's' life, as a refined person like him would never engage in such personal and possibly unhealthy activities. It was a wonder that such a thing was happening at all on a rich, sophisticated cruise liner like theirs.
So, he accommodated and distracted himself by watching out of the corner of his eye as Tsukushi readjusted her sunglasses and lay back in her lawn chair, not seeming to care in the least if she went tan as a ripe pear as long as it was enjoyable. Her lips were drawn in a relaxed smile and her cheeks were a pleasant rosy hue. Tsukasa absolutely itched to sneak up on her and turn her mild flush into a blush so great it would spread from her forehead to her toes.
With that sudden thought, he gulped and turned his head, suddenly finding the antics of a pair of toddlers infinitely fascinating. With determination Tsukasa repressed the images which threatened to flood his conscious, rubbing his palms together and hastily glancing around for a distraction. For the first month, life on the ship had been too hectic for Tsukasa to even second-guess the proximity of their quarters; though he had succeeded in sharing a room with her for two nights on his private island, the temptation had remained constant from the moment they left shore and he was sure that she was beginning to notice.
"Doumyouji?"
Tsukasa jumped, turning to look at Tsukushi, his cheeks flushing madly as the last of his imagined moments were driven away by reality. "Y-yeah?"
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine! Just a little hungry. I'm going to get something to eat," he said hurriedly, not waiting for her response as he jumped to his feet and scuttled to the open stairway. Vaulting down to the main foyer, he recovered his breath and, regaining his composure, strode purposefully in naught but his swimsuit down to the residential halls. Once in his room, Tsukasa took one long, deep breath and shook his head, as if trying to physically rid himself of the thoughts that re-entered his mind with a vengeance.
Tsukasa quickly set himself to slipping a shirt on and changing out of his still dry bathing suit. He had hoped to go for a swim and straighten out his hair, even if only for a short time, because he knew just how much Tsukushi liked the look. He let out a sigh and brushed his dark curls, his eyes softening at the reflection. Sometimes he really could admit to himself that his head looked as if it were covered in caterpillars. No wonder it had taken so much to win Tsukushi's heart.
He jumped at the thought. "Won?" he asked his reflection out loud. Tsukasa shook his head. "It can't be merely won, I'm just lucky she found me in it at all." Repeating it to himself in his thoughts was much different than admitting it out loud, he decided.
Tsukasa felt his heart almost lurch from his throat when there came a knock at his door. "Who on Earth?" he mumbled as he quickly made his way over to it, when it was flung open and the edge hit him square in the nose.
"Doumyouji?" Tsukushi asked, watching as he stumbled back, clutching his face with eyes squeezed closed. She blinked and after determining his nose wasn't broken, Tsukasa looked at her. "Are you all right? You ran out in such a rush, I came to see if you might be in here sick or something."
"I was all right!" he cried, rubbing his face and squinting his eyes in pain at the contact, "I was, until you burst in and hit me with the door!"
"Maybe you shouldn't put your face in doors that could possibly hit you?" Tsukushi rolled her eyes. "Idiot."
"Are you trying to blame the fact you hit me with the door on me?!"
"It is your fault, you should get out of the way!"
Tsukasa spluttered, looking for some way to reason with her nonsense, "Fine, whatever. Let's get lunch." Grabbing her hand, he started down the hall, when he was halted by a lack of movement from the girl he was trying to drag along behind him. "Come on!" he said, turning back to glare at her.
Tsukushi stared at him in such a way that Tsukasa wondered if he had sprouted a few extra heads. "What is it?"
"Doumyouji..." Tsukushi walked up to him then, her wrist wiggling out of his grip as she did so. "Is this how it's always going to be?"
Tsukasa blinked, his hard-set, angry expression quickly dissipating as he regarded her round, wide-eyed face.
"What do you mean...?" he asked in confusion. Tsukushi smiled slightly at his puzzlement.
"I just wonder, will we always be able to just be like this? Arguing, enjoying ourselves? I'm... I'm scared to go back."
Tsukasa's eyes widened in wonder at her admission. So she felt the same way that he did? With renewed resolve he placed both hands on her shoulders, letting his eyes wander deeply into hers, which were regarding him with both curiosity and suspicion. Without warning he drew her against him, letting his arms envelop her in a tight, warm embrace. He squeezed briefly before letting her go once more.
"No, it won't be the same, but I'll try my hardest to keep it this way as best I can. There's no need to worry."
***
Sunglasses, swimsuits, warm beaches and star-filled nights are known for causing many strange things to happen to people.
Tsukushi leaned against the cool metal of the inside of the elevator, shivering when it came into contact with her soft, warm skin. They were alone in the small, confined space, and Tsukasa stood against the opposite wall with his head resting against it, his eyes closed. Knowing he wasn't watching her she allowed herself to observe his tall, broad-shouldered frame: he was made of lean muscle and a strong chest, with smooth slopes to his biceps and stomach. With his arms crossed and wearing nothing but a swimsuit Tsukasa reminded her of a name brand model, one that could be seen in the various posters inside the subway.
Tsukasa opened one eye when he heard Tsukushi giggle slightly. "What are you laughing at?" he asked, his voice much less annoyed-sounding than he intended. Of course, his question only caused her slight chuckles to escalate into all-out laughter.
"You... you look..." Unable to bring herself to say it, Tsukushi resigned herself to covering her mouth with one hand and holding her stomach with the other to steel herself against the giggles rippling through her abdominal muscles. Giving up on coaxing out an answer, Tsukasa watched half-heartedly as she finally coughed her way out of her fit of laughter.
"Done?"
"Yes." Tsukasa sighed and rolled his eyes, not quite able to understand what could possibly cause her such random amusement. She really was a strange girl at times. He glanced up at the meter above them, noting that they had another ten floors or more to pass before they reached their own. He was beginning to regret insisting on the best suite in the best hotel, for they had to travel at least five minutes in the elevator to get to their floor.
The Caribbean had a certain charm about it that even Tsukasa couldn't deny. The water was warm and the weather was fair, and the small island the cruise ship had stopped on was isolated enough that the beaches were not very crowded. He was in such high spirits that he had even given in to Tsukushi's insistence on joining some strangers off the boat for a game of volleyball. Having learned his lesson the first time around, Tsukasa joined a team with her against the three boys, and despite a lack of scorekeeping the pair won by a fair amount of crushing tool points.
And it wasn't that bad, anyway; her swimsuit was extremely complimenting to her figure, even he had to admit. The only downside was how Tsukasa's blood would boil every time he caught another man even looking at her, though he had gained enough common sense by then not to say anything.
By the time they arrived at their own floor, a fact which they were made aware of by a loud ring from the elevator and a sudden, jolting stop. The floor rocked momentarily, causing Tsukushi to trip as she moved toward the two large, sliding metal doors. Before she could go anywhere dangerous Tsukasa's hand shot out, grabbing her by the arm in one strong, swift motion. Another jolt sent her careening into him, her forehead colliding with a soft smack against his chest.
"Ow," Tsukushi muttered out as the doors finally opened with a creak. Tsukasa, his hand still holding tightly onto her arm, watched with one raised eyebrow as she stood up straight once more, her eyes rising to meet his. "Uh, thanks."
Tsukasa smiled slightly, a smile which tugged at one side of his mouth, and nodded his head in response. "Watch out."
"O-okay," Tsukushi managed, her voice cracking slightly when his strong gaze refused to leave hers. They stood silent for a few moments before the doors suddenly creaked once more, sliding closed before either of them could react.
"Hey!" Tsukushi cried, instantly forgetting their exchange when the light for the fifth floor came on. "This is no good, it'll take forever to get back up here!"
Tsukasa only chuckled, not having forgotten the grip he still had on her arm. She only noticed when she was suddenly pulled back from the menu of numbered buttons so her back was pressed against hard, strong muscles, a pair of equally powerful arms wrapping around her waist in a manner she recognized instantly. Tsukushi shivered when she felt Tsukasa's face lightly press into her hair, a slight breath of air sending a small shock down her neck and spine.
"Doumyouji...?" she mumbled, her voice not a protest, but rather an inquiry. He smiled against her brown locks and tightened his grasp momentarily before releasing her. Tsukushi turned around enough that she could face him, a flush on her cheeks and a question hovering on her slightly open lips.
"Fifteen floors is a long way," Tsukasa hummed, his left eyebrow tweaking mischievously. Without warning he took her chin in his fingers and swooped, taking her lips in his own in a strong, soft kiss. His other hand moved around her waist, bringing her closer to his own body.
Tsukushi jumped at first, surprised by the sudden move, but upon the patient inquiring of his lips she was unable to do anything but relax against his ministrations and respond. Tsukasa took her actions as encouragement and let his fingers wrap possessively around her side, his other hand moving to cradle her cheek while he lightly traced a thumb from her closed eyelashes to her earlobe.
Releasing her lips, Tsukasa opened his eyes and watched with an intense stare as Tsukushi did the same, her breath hitching slightly and her cheeks staining with an almost unnoticeable rose. He smiled and kissed her once more with a quick, soft peck, his touches traveling away from her mouth to her cheek, where one more kiss was planted on the soft, warm skin. Her head turned slightly, revealing more of her long, pale neck to him. Her hair was drawn back in a braid, bound in a bun so only a few wispy strands of it fell away.
Tsukasa's faint kisses traveled lower, his lips trailing from her cheek to her neck in small, soft stints of pressure. His hand, which had previously been cradling her ear in his palm and her head in his fingers, dropped to join its partner at her waist. He pulled her closer in one smooth motion and unconsciously, he began to trace small, reassuring circles on her back when she shivered slightly against his touch.
Tsukushi was reacting in ways she never thought possible to Tsukasa's gentle kisses. She didn't push him away, she didn't resist... She could only submit to the soft warmth she felt at each caress, her body melting more and more against him with each passing moment.
And then the elevator stopped with a sudden, obnoxious ring, the doors sliding open with a single squeak of complaint. The two immediately jumped apart, their faces a bright tomato-red, their eyes locked onto the disapproving old man or wildly curious young child they expected to see.
Instead, the hall in front of the elevator doors was empty. Tsukasa peered out, looking about for whoever had pushed the call button, and felt a surge of frustration when he saw no one.
Tsukushi was still blushing mightily, her eyes focused intently on the floor and her flip flops twiddling nervously against one another. Her head swam; not at the intense burn in her cheeks, but at the slow warmth carousing through her veins in the aftermath of all of Tsukasa's strong, gentle touches. She had kissed him before, yes, and been held in his embrace, but she had never experienced the same level of intimacy she had just experienced, no matter how sheltered and virginal the inner confession sounded.
The button on her blouse broke as he ripped away the small, black ribbon which bound her collar. He kissed down her throat, one hand traveling up her leg just beneath her skirt. She felt tears spring to her eyes and a plea form on her lips.
"Stop... stop it..."
No, there had been one other instance. But she had long forgotten his anger-driven attack, forced it into the back of her memory so it would no longer poison the still fragile relationship she had formed with Tsukasa. This was different; this was such a soft, genuine action, kisses and touches born of mutual emotions.
This... was all right.
When the door closed, Tsukasa pressed their respective floor button and leaned back against the wall, watching Tsukushi out of the corner of his eye. Her flush had disappeared and she now seemed to be merely studying her toes, her brow furrowed in thought and one hand tucked behind her back, the other fiddling with the fabric of her red sarong. She really was cute.
"Makino... I should tell you now, in case you want to change it..." Tsukushi raised her head immediately, her gaze locking onto his, "We're going to be sharing a room."
The reaction he received was certainly not the one Tsukasa expected. "That's all right," she replied quietly. "We have... before." She smiled then, hoping that he would accept her words the way she wanted him to: with all the words she didn't feel she could say just then.
Tsukasa's face seemed to light up instantaneously. He let free a brief smile and nodded his head, and Tsukushi noticed a bright spark in his dark eyes. She chuckled to herself and leaned back against the wall, letting her eyes drift closed for mere moments while she listened to the grinding of the elevator as it rose to their floor. She stood upright before the elevator came to a halt, and the doors slid open with the sound of metal-on-metal, revealing their semi-private hallway. Tsukasa put one hand on the black cushion between the doors to keep them from closing as Tsukushi walked past. He quickly joined her in the hallway, taking the key out of his pocket with a clink.
They walked in comfortable silence to the farthest end of the hall, where the found their door, a lavishly decorated wooden piece, complete with knocker and gold plate, which had something engraved on it in English. Tsukasa seemed able to read the strange letters, if the slight blush he acquired while looking at them was any indication. He opened the door and bowed rather dramatically as Tsukushi stepped inside, her eyes widening as she took in the extravagant hotel room.
Even the rich couldn't afford places like it in Japan. The western world truly was a world of real living space.
The ceilings, which were sloped but somewhat plain, rose in a steady curve toward the top where a bright crystal chandelier hung low from a sculpted wrought-iron hangar. The walls were of a soft floral pattern, but much of the wallpaper was covered by large, bulky, gold-framed paintings and small tables with real green plants sitting on them in ornate vases. The seeming 'living' area of the room was wide, with a large television on the far side and a great bay window just beside it. Couches and chairs were scattered around, all covered in rather fuzzy pillows and smelling of a faint perfume. A bar sat on one side and a kitchen just behind it, and Tsukushi could see over it the modernistic lighting, stainless steel appliances and dark green granite counters. Two doors stood just inside the room and to their left, with one open to a bathroom and the other closed.
Walking toward the seat at the base of the bay window, Tsukushi peered out through the clear glass, her mouth falling open at the image which greeted her. A full, silver moon, hung low in the sky, which was dark but lit to a fair midnight blue by the small stars that pebbled it. Each star winked at her, clearly visible in the somewhat lamp-less scenery.
While she admired the view Tsukasa had already wandered away, stepping around the bar into the kitchen and poking through the pantry and various cabinets, collecting any items that struck his interest until a small pile of various foodstuffs sat on a small table just outside the kitchen. Tsukushi, shaking her head, peeked briefly into the overlarge, green-tile bathroom before opening the closed door. Inside she found the bedroom, which was anything but what she was used to. The walls were relatively plain, but long, white, lace curtains decorated the large, open window, the door to the vast walk-in closet was open, and two large dressers stood off to one side. The bed, however, was rather tall and wide, with four posters and a white and blue canopy hanging off three sides, with the portion at the foot of the bed drawn up to reveal an intricately-patterned quilt and a thick comforter beneath. Tsukushi approached the curtain, lifting it to sit down on the soft cushion and drawing her hand across one of the pillows, which was encased in silk. Raising one eyebrow she lifted the comforter to find that the white and red sheets beneath were made of the same soft, slippery fabric, so smooth that she found it hard to draw away.
She wondered briefly if they were going to share the same bed.
"Makino?" Tsukushi raised her eyes, hearing Tsukasa's call from the main room. Sitting up she left the bedroom, taking one longing glance back at the bed before joining him in the kitchen.