We Will Meet Again
Chapter Two: Don't Trip
Yumiko Kaze
That was when her foot got tangled in one of the many coils of electrical cord laying on the ground.
With a yelp, Miaka pitched backward, closing her eyes, expecting to land on her butt with all the grace of a pregnant cow.
Needless to say, she was quite surprised when her rapid descent came to an abrupt halt as a flash of burnished silver and flaming red swept over her and in the next moment, Miaka found herself not sprawled on the floor, but rather suspended in the air with her head not six inches from the cement in the safe and warm comfort of Andy's arms.
She blinked up at the familiar golden eyes before taking stock of a situation that must have looked adorably cute and heroic to any on-lookers; Ayame in particular, who was still bouncing and squealing inanely. Andy had one arm supporting her around the shoulders while the other was wrapped securely around the surprised girl's waist, as he leaned over her in an extremely exaggerated lunge, with one leg bent, supporting the both of them, and the other stretched out along the length of her own body. She was surprised he hadn't fallen over right on top of her.
"I…T-thank you…" she stammered, blushing at how close they were; the golden links of the necklace he was wearing dangled between them, the end of it gently resting on the exposed skin near her throat. She also marveled at how easily saving her neck had come to him. Could it be possible? Did he remember?
"Miaka are you alright?" Yui was crouching right next to her, looking concerned, but not at all surprised at the fall her friend had taken.
As Andy straightened up and set her down, Miaka pondered the situation. It seemed that even reincarnated; some inkling of memory, some incentive to protect her had survived. Either that or his looks were mere coincidence and he was just extremely gallant. She looked away slightly in order to hide the wet sheen that her eyes had taken on.
"You should be more careful," he advised, reaching out a hand and chucking her under the chin, "Don't want a pretty girl like you to end up in the hospital." Then he winked at her. Miaka was slightly startled, she had never thought of Hotohori as winker. Then again, he had grown up in a modern world, with a lot more freedom than he would have ever had in the book. He was bound to be a little different in some respects.
Then he shook her hand, looking at her as though he were expecting something and she remembered that in this world he had no idea who she was. Still slightly flustered after her fall, Miaka laughed slightly to hide her nervousness before finally introducing herself. "I'm Miaka."
"Miaka, that's a pretty name." She blushed at his compliment and he felt a sense of triumph that he had been the cause of it. He had thought she was adorable the moment he laid eyes on her, but she was even cuter when she blushed like that.
He smiled at her again and she felt that odd leaping sensation in her heart. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him until now. He had been her second Seishi, the one she had gone to for comfort when she needed it. Of course, she had loved all of her Seishi, but Hotohori had definitely held more of her heart than she was willing to admit back then, or now.
Ayame was chattering away even as Andy tried to introduce himself to Yui, who was smiling while attempting to glare daggers at Ayame, who since Andy's appearance had really been making a pest of herself.
He looked exactly the same as he had in the book. Because of that, Miaka had to bite back a laugh at seeing the dignified Emperor of Konan clad in black jeans, and a nicely fitting silk shirt with the cuffs unbuttoned and rolled up carelessly. It wasn't that he looked funny, quite the opposite really. He looked very nice.
She wondered for an instant why Yui hadn't reacted to seeing one of Miaka's Seishi reincarnated, then it occurred to her; Yui had never met Hotohori. She had only read about him in the book before being pulled in as an exchange for Miaka.
Miaka couldn't help but stare at Andy. He was just as handsome as he always had been. Golden eyes that met hers with an almost disconcerting directness, shadowed by long dark hair that seemed to change from silvery brown to almost black in different light. She blushed when she realized that those incredible eyes were returning her stare and looked away quickly. She would have to pull Yui aside later tonight and tell her.
The ride in limousine was fairly long; Andy had never been to Tokyo and thus had let the girls decide where they would eat. This resulted in a short but loud argument. Ayame had suggested something Chinese, so that Andy would feel more at home. Miaka and Yui had wanted to go someplace that offered more variety so that they could pick and choose and maybe even mix and match. Ayame had argued her case with such fervor that before long, both Priestess's had relented and allowed her to choose their destination.
Miaka folded her arms and leaned against her window, promising herself that once she got home she was going to beat Yui for suggesting that they invite Ayame. She was upset. She believed she had found her second Seishi again, but with Ayame talking non-stop Miaka wasn't going to get a word in edgewise. She wanted to ask him so much! She knew that in the book world his home life had not been the greatest and that he had led a terribly isolated and lonely life. She desperately wanted to know if life had been kind enough to grant him the love and understanding that he had so desired in the past.
She shot Yui a look and the former Seiryuu priestess sighed and closed her eyes in a silent apology. That's the last time I try to be nice.
The limousine rolled to a halt and the quartet slid out easily out of the cushy leather seats to find themselves standing before a small, little known Chinese restaurant that had gone up not long ago. Miaka had never been there before, and when she looked up she smiled. The name was lit in neon red, the light casting a red glow on anything it touched: The China Phoenix.
Now if that's not irony, I don't know what is.
She jumped slightly when she felt a hand grip her elbow gently, though she was only half-surprised to see that it was Andy. She grinned and then grabbed Yui's hand as Andy allowed Ayame to lead the rest of them into the small restaurant.
The night seemed almost to fly by after that. Ayame had fired question after question at Andy, only once in a blue moon had Miaka or Yui gotten to ask the singer questions of their own. That was all right. Just spending time in her Seishi's company was enough for Miaka, though she was saddened by the fact that after this she would more than likely never see him again except for the occasional television special.
That was when she realized that Yui was calling her name.
"Miaka? Miaka..." Yui waved a hand in front of her best friends face.
Startled, Miaka jerked out of her reverie and looked at Yui. "Yes? What is it?" Yeesh. How long had she been zoned out?
Yui rolled her eyes and repeated the question she had already asked at least twice, "It's late, do you think we should be getting home now?"
"What time is it?" Miaka managed to ask through her yawn.
"Oh, only about one-thirty in the morning." Sarcasm. Great.
Miaka squawked, "That late already? I have a test on Monday and I'm going to need all of tomorrow… I mean today, to study for it!" She rubbed her temples with her fingers and groaned. "Not that that will help me any, but I've got to at least try…"
"It's nice to know you girls are in school," Andy said, sipping his tea. "I was lucky to make it this far. I didn't really have anything else I wanted to do after college." He wrinkled his nose, "Although my parents did urge me to follow in their footsteps and study politics. My mother wants me to be a lawyer."
"Really?" Ayame asked, in awe of the fact that someone who was as gorgeous and talented as Andy had actually needed to go to college.
Miaka immediately repented for all of the mean things she had assumed about him earlier that night. Of course Andy had gone to college. Knowing now who he was, she realized that it shouldn't have come as any surprise. She was about ready to inform Ayame of this fact rather sarcastically when the girl asked yet another question.
"Where did you graduate?" Ayame fluttered her eyelashes and leaned forward so that she was at least halfway over the table.
Miaka eyed her acquaintance; I hope she falls in that bowl of soup… She was feeling particularly protective of her Seishi. After all that had transpired in the book world, Miaka wanted Hotohori to lead the happiest life he could.
Preferably one devoid of Rabid Fan Girls like Ayame…
"A university in China," he said simply. "I was interested in a lot of things."
"So what did you major in?" Ayame asked, wondering if the Fates had sealed her destiny with this man.
"Ancient legends and religions," he replied. "Studied the Chinese Mythology, particularly the Four Gods Faith, and I was going to minor in politics, but I love the fine arts, and then I took up singing…"
Miaka could feel her heart thumping in her chest. The Four Gods Faith? Leave it alone Miaka. It's just a bloody coincidence. As much as she wanted to believe that Andy was Hotohori reincarnated, some small part of her brain – the annoying realistic part that still had trouble believing that she had ever been inside the book, had been slowly whittling away at her theory until Miaka almost thought that she had to have been mistaken. Hotohori wouldn't be here. He would have wanted to be reincarnated in the book world; he would have wanted to be able to protect Houki and Boushin… He gave up on you remember? The voice had a point.
"Tell me more!" Ayame begged, wanting desperately to show Andy that whatever he was into, she could be into. She could be anything he wanted her to be… She wasn't particularly into Myth's, but for Andy… "I bet you graduated top of your class, right?"
Andy smiled slightly, though it didn't reach his eyes, he glanced at Miaka and Yui, hoping that one of them would take the hint and save him…
"What did you learn?" Ayame continued, leaning forward until she was less than six inches from Andy's face.
"About the Four Gods?" he asked, cocking his head and tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear nervously even as he scooted his chair backwards, (Ayame sighed dreamily) "My, you certainly are interested."
"Uh-huh," she muttered dreamily. Andy snorted softly, he didn't want to be rude to the girl, but she was trying just a little too hard.
He glanced at Miaka, who looked rather nervous, if not sick. Yui, on the other hand, looked intrigued. The blonde fingered a single blue stud in her ear, "That's odd, I didn't realize that the Ancient Mythology was an available major."
Andy shook his head, glad to be talking to someone other than Ayame. "It's not. It was my own personal interest. I took it up in an independent study."
"Tell us!" begged Ayame; she was nearly bouncing out of her chair. Miaka glanced at the chair legs, surprisingly, none of them were cracked.
Finally he relented, "Well, there were, are, four gods of ancient China. One god presided over each of the cardinal regions. Byakko had the West, Seiryuu the East, Genbu the North and Suzaku the South."
Yui and Miaka flinched slightly when their respective gods were mentioned. Miaka rested her chin on her hands and wondered idly if he ever had dreams about his past life. Had any of his music been inspired by it? It was an interesting thought, but not one she felt comfortable asking him.
Andy continued, "And for each god there were seven Seishi who were charged with protecting the Priestess, who was said to have come from an entirely different world."
"Oh my god..." Ayame breathed. "Miaka, are you listening to all this?"
Miaka nodded dumbly. Of course she was listening! She had lived it! But it wasn't the words coming out of Andy's mouth that held her transfixed… She cast a glance at Yui, did she see it? The Seiryuu Priestess flashed her a wide eyed look and Miaka snagged one of Yui's hands under the table, giving it a quick squeeze, telling her not to say anything. Knowing that Yui could see it too told Miaka that she wasn't going crazy. Miaka glanced at Ayame and Andy. Did they notice anything?
However, Andy was still recounting the story, both he and Ayame seemed oblivious to the symbol that had begun to glow a hot reddish color, "And the priestess was granted the power to summon the god to do as she wished, she got three wishes, and if she passed the test, all would be well."
"What kind of test?" Ayame was really getting into this. Sheesh. You'd think she was the one with one of her reincarnated Seishi sitting in front of her. Actually, Miaka herself was taking the whole thing more calmly than she'd ever thought she would. "And who were the Seishi?"
Before Andy could answer that he didn't know, Miaka interrupted, a distant look one gets when reliving memories clouding her eyes. "If the priestess was not strong enough, the beast god would devour her, taking over her body and wreaking havoc on the land. There were twenty-eight Seishi in all, seven to each god like Andy said. Every one of them was named after a star constellation that was located in the god's region of the sky."
She looked up, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. "I only know the Seishi of Suzaku and Seiryuu, but I know a few of Genbu and Byakko."
"Let's hear them," Ayame said, irritated that her coworker had captivated Andy's attention, but intrigued in spite of herself. "I didn't know you knew this kind of stuff."
Miaka's mind reeled as she recited the familiar names.
"First, there was Tamahome, the crab." She felt a little better, braver, after saying her fiancé's name first; like she had reestablished something. An image of the money grubber after he had rescued both her and Yui leaped to the forefront of her mind.
"Then there was Chichiri, the water well, and Tasuki, wing." Happy memories of the blue haired monk and the rowdy bandit flashed before her inner eye and made her smile.
And then an image of a sweet little boy, spoiled by the bitter memories of his untimely death, "Chiriko, stretching, I think it was. And Mitsukake, sadness, was it? And Nuriko, the willow." Memories of the cross dresser appeared without permission and she found herself wanting to laugh, cry, and hit something all at once.
"And then..." Suddenly, Miaka found herself struggling. "Then...there was..."
She looked up into Andy's eyes and everything seemed to screech to a halt.
Suddenly, Miaka was back in Hotohori's chambers, the night he had confessed his feeling towards her. She felt her heart quicken and her face burn as she remembered how he had made her feel that night. His hair had fallen around them, seeming to create a world that was just for them. His weight had been on her and now the heat in her cheeks intensified as she recalled how much she had liked that feeling. Despite her growing feelings for Tamahome, she had wanted Hotohori to kiss her. If Nuriko and Tamahome had not interrupted as they did… Miaka's heart thudded in the realization that if Hotohori had indeed kissed her… No! She quickly chased those thoughts from her mind.
Andy, concerned at her silence, reached out and laid a hand on her arm. "And?" He prompted.
And the spell was broken; Miaka shook herself and apologized before continuing, "Hotohori, the hydra. Said to have been the Emperor of the Southern Kingdom of Konan."
Andy looked impressed that she knew so much, but other than that… No reaction. The symbol had faded, and that pesky realistic voice was back, telling her she had been hallucinating. But Miaka had no intention of listening to it anymore. Andy was Hotohori, she was sure of it. And if Yui had seen the mark as well…
It pained Miaka that he obviously remembered nothing. Her adventures with her Seishi were some of the nearest and dearest to her heart. She and Yui preferred not to converse about them however; as Yui's time spent in the book was something she would prefer to forget. Taka, it seemed, also preferred not to speak of it much. As far as he was concerned, he was done with Suzaku and Suzaku was done with him. But Miaka did not wish to forget all of the wonderful memories she had made in the book world. Desperately, she wanted someone to talk with; to help her not forget.
In all the darkness she currently felt, there was a faint glimmer of hope. He had rescued her from her earlier fall. The Seishi instinct to protect her... it seemed that that was unforgettable.
Yui took her turn reciting her own Seishi's names, managing to be a little more articulate than Miaka and not stumble too badly over Nakago or Suboshi's names. Andy and Ayame listened intently; this was all new to both of them.
When she was done, Andy looked at his watch and stretched his arms, tilting his head back and leaning back in his chair. Ayame and Miaka (to her own horror) found their eyes tracing the very well defined muscles that inadvertently came into view as his shirt rode up enough to give the girls a good peek at his perfectly sculpted abdomen.
"I think we better go now. It's late."
Miaka felt something in her gut go all squishy and she immediately quashed the feeling. The man sounded almost as if her were purring! Miaka glanced suspiciously at him as he stretched out the kinks in his joints. Did he know how cute he looked when he did that? Had he done specifically to drive them both crazy? Well… Ayame more so than herself… but still!
"Yes," Miaka finally answered, mentally smacking herself for gawking at another man, as they all got up. Idiot! What are you thinking? You have Taka!
Miaka grabbed Yui's arm, this was her chance! "Excuse us for a moment, we'll be right back." She drug her friend to the back and once entering the bathroom checked all the stalls, upon finding them empty, she locked the door and turned to Yui.
"What was that Miaka?" Yui asked, gesturing to her throat to indicate where the symbol had been on Andy.
Miaka could feel a wave of adrenaline wash over her as she told Yui what she suspected, her hopes rising by the minute.
"Wow." Yui rubbed her arms to ward off a sudden chill. "Do you think that means that my Seishi could have been reborn into this world as well?" She looked around the room suspiciously, as though expecting Tomo or Nakago to pop out from one of the walls. As much as Miaka loved her Seishi, Yui felt no such love for any of her own. With the exception of Suboshi. Poor Amiboshi almost didn't count; she had never met him, though she had heard a great deal about him from his brother.
Miaka shook her head. "I don't know, I hope not." She looked down; Yui would know that she meant no offense. "We'd better get back out there, we've been gone a while, they might leave without us."
They slowly picked their way around the tables and chairs, talking in quiet voices. Miaka kept her gaze trained on Andy the entire time.
Andy saw them coming immediately and gave them a look of unmistakable relief, and Miaka could see why. Ayame was clinging to his arm and once again – not that she had ever really stopped – talking up a storm, flattering Andy constantly and all in all making Miaka and Yui sick.
Andy paid the waiter and as they stepped outside to wait for the limo, Miaka felt a sudden chill hit her and she rubbed her arms to warm herself. It wasn't long before her teeth were chattering audibly. Her T-shirt and skirt weren't doing much to keep her warm. Andy took this chance to detach Ayame from his arm. Shedding his long leather trench coat, he handed it to Miaka. "Here,"
Miaka accepted it gladly, wrapping the grossly oversized article of clothing around herself securely with a muttered 'thank you.' She could see Ayame out of the corner of her eye, fuming quietly that Andy had not offered her his jacket. Then again, Ayame had brought a jacket of her own. It wasn't long before Andy's chauffer arrived to pick them up.
Eager to get out of the cold, the foursome piled into the limo, Ayame managed to seat herself next to Andy, who gave the other two girls a long suffering look. Needless to say, none of them could wait to get Ayame out of the car.
They dropped off Ayame first, who did not appear to want to say goodbye to the handsome man. Andy bid her farewell, taking the girl's hand in his and kissing the back of it before closing the door and telling the driver to get moving. Even from the confines of the car, Miaka and Yui could hear the girl squealing happily. A look out the rear window confirmed it: The girl was doing a happy dance in front of her apartment building. Miaka rubbed her temples. Where's my aspirin when I need it?
Next they dropped off Yui, who merely shook Andy's hand once again before embracing her friend, muttering in Miaka's ear to call her once she got home. As Miaka and Andy waited for her to get safely inside, Yui hurried up the steps of her apartment to let herself in, turning at the last minute to wave goodbye, before disappearing up the stairs.
"Did you have a good night?" Andy asked, sliding back in the backseat with her and slamming the door as they started for Miaka's apartment.
"Yes." Miaka was horrified to find that she was blushing. At this discovery Miaka mentally berated herself for even looking at another man, much less one of her own Seishi. Especially one who had had such strong feelings for her in the past and she had rejected! Her being attracted to him now just felt more than a little hypocritical.
"It surprised me greatly that you were so interested in the history of ancient China," he mused, hand gently rubbing his jaw in thought. "I had grown up in the city and my father had wanted me to be a politician, but I wanted, more than anything, to learn about the history of my own country. How it came to be, both politically and ethnically, if you know what I mean." He shifted a little in his seat, now their legs were brushing each other. She could feel the heat of his body through the black denim of his jeans. Miaka self consciously tugged at the hem of the skirt she was wearing. The darn thing refused to stay where she wanted it. That's the last time I wear one of these confounded things.
"Yeah I get it. You wanted to know what had helped shape where you lived and how and why everything is the way it is." Visions of the past whirled around her in a dizzying spiral and she had to avert her gaze to the roof of the car. She had helped shape that past.
The two talked the rest of the way to Miaka's apartment, since neither of them had had much of a chance to do much talking until now. Unfortunately the ride ended all too soon and Miaka found herself standing just outside her apartment complex, saying her goodbyes to Andy.
"I had a great time Andy." She smiled, taking off the coat and handing it back to him, "You know, before I met you, I thought you were going to be one of those spoiled, insensitive, drug addicted playboy types that everyone always hears about." When his eyes widened slightly with hurt, without knowing why she was doing it, Miaka reached up and let her hand rest on his cheek. "You proved me wrong."
Looking slightly embarrassed, Andy laid his own hand over hers, bringing it down, but still keeping a firm hold on it. "I'm happy to hear that." His eyes bored into hers with a kind of humor, and Miaka blinked in confusion. Yes. The girl was most definitely a cutie. He closed his other hand over her free one, holding them earnestly. "I would have to say that you proved me wrong as well, Miaka." He paused, squeezing her hands gently. "And I'm glad of it."
As he turned to leave, Miaka felt her heart thump painfully. This would probably be the last time she ever saw her Seishi again in person. She could feel the all too familiar pick of tears behind her eyes. She jumped slightly when he turned around abruptly. "I hope we meet again," he said, taking her hand with a painfully familiar sadness glowing in his eyes. Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed the back of it as he had done with Ayame, and then looked deep into those bright green eyes. Eyes that he had the oddest feeling he had seen before, and knew without a doubt that if he let himself, he could get lost in.
In fact, he wasn't so sure it hadn't already happened.
Miaka fought the tears tooth and nail. But the way he was looking at her, it seemed that he was looking right into her mind and heart, pulling on strings and pushing buttons, making her feel things that until now it seemed only Taka and before that Tamahome had been able to elicit out of her. Before she knew it, her eyes were wet at the thought that her Seishi would be leaving her just as quickly as she had found him.
Andy felt her tears tug at something in his chest. "Please don't cry," he said. "There's nothing sad about us parting."
Oh yes there is, Miaka thought. I wasn't there to help you when you died. And you swore that you wouldn't die. Then, I met you once more, but only for a little while, and you already had a son. I wanted to help you more than you can ever comprehend. You were the last to die, and it crushed me that I couldn't do anything. Hotohori, if only you remembered. I finally get to see you again and I can't even stir your past memories. Taitsu-kun would forbid it.
Knowing that if she spent too much longer in Andy's presence she would likely break down and start crying, Miaka pulled her hand back. "Good night," she said, hugging him briefly before heading inside.
Andy lingered on the sidewalk a moment longer. He didn't know what it was, but there was… something about that girl. He could have sworn that he knew her from somewhere. Not only that, but she had seemed to feel the same way. And… there was something else about the petite russet haired girl with the green eyes that seemed to call to him. Whatever it was, it made his pulse quicken and his temperature rise. When they had been alone in the car it had taken all of his will power not to kiss her right then and there. It would not have been either proper or within his right to do so. He had seen the ring on her finger. She was off-limits. But something still seemed to draw him to her. Something he couldn't quite explain.
As he slammed the door of the limousine behind him, he sprawled himself out across the backseat, thinking.
Yes.
He most definitely wanted to see her again; and something had been telling him to go for it, despite the obvious competition he would get from whoever the boyfriend was. This was the first girl in a long time he had really felt anything for, and he it felt almost as if he knew from experience that he shouldn't be letting her get away. As the limousine left the parking lot, Andy turned to cast one last look at the building; smiling to himself as he touched two fingers to his lips and blew a kiss towards the girl that he knew had captured his heart. The question was would she be willing to give him hers in return? As he turned to face forward again he nodded to himself with utter certainty, he was sure that his instincts would not let him down.
We will meet again…
Miaka hummed the tune to one of the songs that Andy had sung at the concert earlier as she trudged tiredly up the stairs. She would bet anyone just about anything that she was the only sane person in the building that was still awake. As she fumbled with her purse for her keys, she frowned, her hand connecting with something flat and hard. Pulling the object out, dropping her wallet and a few pieces of candy while she was at it, she found a CD. He must have stuck it in her purse when she wasn't looking. An eyebrow rose in interest, she had never known Hotohori to be so sneaky.
The cover had one of the heavily shadowed pictures of Andy on it, but now that she knew what he looked like, she could make out those gorgeous eyes of his, no problem. Then it occurred to her. The reason all of his pictures were shadowed was so that he could walk down the street without being recognized and mobbed by an army of rabid fans. Smart… she smiled. She would actually pay money to see the dignified Emperor running for his life with a mob of rabid women closing in behind him. The image made her chuckle quietly to herself as she opened the CD to see if he'd signed it. Sure enough, he had.
He had written a truly sweet note to her saying that he had enjoyed their time together and that he hoped that they would see each other again sometime. In true Hotohori fashion, it was impeccably worded and written in beautiful penmanship that Miaka knew she would never be able to duplicate even if her life depended on it. As she got to the bottom her eyes widened.
He couldn't be serious, could he? I mean, he's… him, and I'm just… me.
But there they were; Seven digits and two little words that said it all.
Call me – 157 – 4247
He'd just given her his personal cell phone number.
AN: Again with the minor editing's. I completely forgot that I had Andy give Miaka the CD. I surprised myself! (Updated 7-18-10)
