AN: Well. Glad to see people think I'm doing so well! As for the whole motorcycle thing in the last chapter…I admit I was pushing it with the characterization, but you have to admit that Hoto-chan on a motorcycle IS a rather appealing thought!!! ^____^
I would like to thank every single one of you for reviewing, I know missed some people, but these were the reviewers that are either constant, or stood out in some other way. Apologies to anyone I left out! Gomen…
HoshiHikari4ever: Tsa! You like me. You really like me! Thanks for reading!
Amyfushigiyugi: Yes I do agree. Andy and Miaka deserve this! Thank you for your support!
Athena: *grins* Glad ya liked the cameos. And yes. Taka happens to be a big monkey wrench waiting to jamb up my story. He's the reason this dang chapter took so long. I can't write him! He's…Taka. And I don't like writing about him. He irks me. Hoto-chan on the other hand…
Yuriko Tsukino: I apologize for the suspense. School started. I have research methods. *hiss* Evil class…
Niccote: Don't worry. It shall continue. *nodnod* Yesyes.
Nel: I like you. You give great feedback on parts on my fic you liked and didn't like! Hmm. You knew my cliffy was coming? I'll have to come up with some better plot twists! You aren't supposed to figure it out! (Kidding! I know I'm transparent!)
Kimi-chan3: Typing with knees bended? Wow. My fic warrants groveling! I think I'm gonna cry!!
The D.o.D: lol. You seem to be one of my more enthusiastic readers. You sound like me. I talk to my comp. too when I read. And yes, I very much support H/M. Taka can go jump off a cliff… a small one. Cuz he doesn't deserve death… he just needs to get out of Hoto-chan's way.
Unmei Himei: *beams* Glad you like my story!
The Shadow Hawk: Thankies for the support!! And continue I shall!
Sana ChiChi: I think you could rival even Hayai-chan in how badly you despise Taka… And how much you support Miaka and Hoto-chan! I'm so pround! I thought I was alone in my love for this couple, but all you reviewers are proving me wrong!
Special Thanks to:
KittyLynn and Quickening: Two of my favorite authors have deigned to read MY story? Now that really makes a person feel loved!! Seriously, I jumped up and ran around the room and even told my mom how cool it was to have you two review… *sniff* I so happy…
Methodic Madness and Sara: *grin* Now people like you really make me happy. Thank you so much for giving my fic a chance! Though *sniff* I wonder why you don't normally like H/M? *looks teary eyed* But they're so sweet together… *evil grin* I may not have completely converted you two to being H/M fans just yet, but I'm going to try my hardest! Hayai used to be a Taka/Miaka fan, and look at her now – she's worse than me!!
Rowan Obscura: And what made you think my fic wouldn't be good? Is it the summary? Whatever it was, tell me! In any case, I'm happy you decided to give it a chance and liked it!!
And I think all reviewers owe a thanks to:
Members of the Black Hole of Millard West:
Hayai, Arcane Legacy, Phoenixfire, Hotoko, and Animaechina
Those who see me everyday and poke and prod me to finish this fic.
Shit.
That was the first word that Miaka's mind came up with.
Inwardly she cringed as Taka descended the stairs of her apartment that he had been sitting on, obviously waiting for her to come home. He was walking slowly, his hand on the rail as though he had drunken himself into a stupor or something to that effect. He was probably going to instantly assume the worst of her. Accuse her of cheating on him or something. With that thought, Miaka felt a flash of anger, hot and roiling, leap into her throat ready to spit fire at him if he did anything of the sort. He'd better not… First of all, she had not been cheating on him, (technically, so far it'd all been Andy's fault!) and second… well. Second – he wasn't even supposed to be here!!
Taka had reached the foot of the stairs and Miaka braced herself for a barrage of verbal battery. Surprisingly though, Taka wasn't even looking at Miaka, his dazed eyes were instead trained upon Andy, who was still sitting contentedly astride his motorcycle and appearing completely oblivious to the entire situation.
Well. Maybe not entirely oblivious.
Andy was not stupid. He had seen the alarm in Miaka's face the second she had laid eyes on the man on the stairs. Having been raised in a family of lawyers and politicians, Andy knew how to keep a straight face. He could gather from the way Miaka was acting that this guy was likely the boyfriend that she had turned him down for. Keeping his poker face on, Andy perused his competition with a somewhat haughty air. Boy didn't look like much.
Andy cocked his head and trained his gaze on Miaka, who was looking back and forth between himself and – Taka was it? – looking almost as if she were a child about to witness an argument between her mother and father. Almost guilty. But what did she have to feel guilty for? To his knowledge, she was still wanting to just be friends…Unless…Maybe she was beginning to change her mind?
Wondering what Taka could possibly have to say to him, Andy waited patiently, meeting the shorter man's eyes easily, arms crossed lightly in front of him.
Still quite shocked at seeing Hotohori, Taka muttered a quick "Your Highness," out of sheer habit, when Miaka kicked him in the shins and Andy's eyes widened in surprise (wondering what kind of nutcase would address him as royalty). Taka realized what he had just said and quickly laughed it off, "Er, hey, Miaka. Who's your new friend?" he eyed Andy up and down, trying to give the impression that he really didn't care but, since Miaka was friends with him, he was asking anyway.
Miaka, seeing that (for the moment) there wasn't going to be any bloodshed, immediately jumped in, "Taka, this is Andy Wong; he's a singer from China." She tugged on Taka's sleeve excitedly, "You should hear his music! He's so good!" she laughed when Andy and Taka both sent her somewhat sour looks. ("We don't care.") Then she looked at Andy, "Andy, this is Taka." She smiled, getting almost teary eyed at seeing her first two Seishi together once again. What she really wanted to do was yell "group hug!" and tackle them both, but considering the circumstances she didn't suppose that would be the best idea.
Both men nodded politely to each other in acknowledgement, though there seemed to be a thin layer of ice still present. Andy was the first to speak, laying a hand gently on Miaka's shoulder as he did so, keeping Taka in his peripheral vision, "So, Miaka, is this the boyfriend you've told me about?"
Miaka nodded happily and smiled, "Yes. Taka and I have been together since I was fifteen."
Andy seemed slightly surprised at the length of time they had remained together, but nonetheless did not allow his expression to change as he gazed at Miaka fondly. Taka saw the way he was looking at Miaka and glared for all he was worth, hoping all the while that Miaka would just shake the stupid jerk off so that he could bundle her up and lock her in a closet somewhere where she'd be safe. From what had happened in the book, Taka knew better than to assume that Andy wouldn't fall for Miaka again.
It was then that Taka realized that he was likely causing his own downfall here. He had been the one to slowly push Miaka away and quit paying attention to her over time. He had been the one to cancel their last three dates over something as stupid as school or work… You moron. You and she risked your lives to be together in the book and now you start sacrificing her and her love over something like money and power?
Taka shook his head. Nah. That couldn't be it. Miaka was a kind understanding woman and she knew that everything he was doing he was doing solely for the sake of their future. He knew Miaka hated that he had to be gone all of the time, but it just couldn't be helped.
Despite the small talk, Andy and Taka faced off, glaring at each other over the top of Miaka's head. She took a second to curse the fact that she hadn't gotten any taller since she was fifteen and still remained at her diminutive height of five two. As she glanced at the men's faces, however, she became very grateful that she was not in either's direct line of sight. For the look each was giving the other could have melted stone. She could practically feel the air vibrating with the intensity of their dislike for one another.
Well. So much for the reunion, She thought in annoyance, won't these two ever just…quit it? She had to admit that having two guys after your heart was a bit flattering, but it really began to take a toll on ones heart after a while. Her feelings for both Andy and Taka seemed as if it were a Siamese twin attached by the middle and trying to run in two different directions. She loved Taka, but since meeting Andy, the feelings that she had long since buried for Hotohori had seemed to bubble to the surface all at once in an attempt to overwhelm her.
She mentally sighed. She had to admit that she had originally had some feelings for Hotohori. She knew this because her evil mirror-self had expressed what would have been the negative, selfish reasons that Miaka herself would have had for liking Hotohori – which she would not have had if she hadn't harbored feelings for him at all in the first place. Her other theory was that by killing her reflection, she had also killed some of the feelings she might have had for Hotohori. Was it possible that maybe they hadn't died after all?
Coming back to reality, Miaka took in her surroundings. Andy's hand had slipped from her shoulder and had ended up clenched just inside his jacket sleeve. And Taka was making some sort of garbled noise in the back of his throat. Was he growling?
Andy didn't really know why, but since meeting Taka he really wanted nothing more than to deck the guy and carry Miaka off somewhere. Preferably to that secluded cabin he'd been musing about earlier. He eyed Miaka in his peripheral vision, hoping that she would have the sense to stay out of it if there did happen to be a fight. Andy just hoped that he wouldn't be the one to start it; though he very well might if Taka didn't stop giving him that look.
Miaka had tensed up when she saw their expressions. Memories of that night in Konan's courtyard came flooding back. She hadn't realized that two human beings could look so primal and animalistic. Hotohori had nearly killed Tamahome in order to protect her, and she hadn't even thanked him. Not that she'd have been glad if Tamahome had died, but she had thoughtlessly not even considered that Hotohori could have lost his own life in that battle. She could have at the very least given him some sort of gratitude for his devotion.
As Miaka eyed both men, she couldn't help but relate the way they were facing off to the fights she had had to brake up at the Clinic every once in a while when a pair of owners didn't keep tabs on their animals. The two Dobermans had locked gazes, neither willing to back down and submit to the other. The hackles had come up and the growling had reverberated through their bodies until, each was a vibrating ball of energy.
This impasse was exactly the same; just a different species of animal.
She readied herself to jump in if one of them lunged, knowing from experience that she wouldn't come out unscathed.
Suddenly, Andy tore his gaze away from Taka's as he reached for his helmet. Sliding it on with practiced ease, Andy prepared to leave. He knew that if he stayed much longer, he would end up doing something he'd regret, and he didn't want that. Miaka would be mad at him.
With a toothpaste add smile he turned to Miaka and bid her farewell before locking gazes once again with Taka for a brief moment as he revved the engine and then peeled out from the curb and down the street.
Miaka watched him go, wondering why her heart suddenly felt like a million pound weight had just settled on top of it.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Taka's voice.
"Huh?" Miaka, clueless as to what he meant, turned and gave Taka a befuddled expression.
"Why didn't you tell me you'd found Hotohori?
Miaka blushed, "I'm sorry Taka. I would have told you sooner or later. It's just…"
"Just what?" he growled, suspicion creeping into his voice.
"Well. I just found him on Saturday night. Yui asked me to go to Saturday's Andy Wong concert with her and since we hadn't done anything for a while I agreed. The seats were way too far away from the stage to really see anything, " She shrugged, "And she had backstage passes too, so we got to go and actually have dinner with Andy. It was when we met him backstage that I realized just who he was." She laughed slightly in remembrance. "I tripped and nearly fell on my butt. He caught me."
Taka's face had seemed to contort strangely, "And you didn't have time to tell me about this because…?"
Miaka scowled, "Let me finish!" the two had a brief staring contest before Taka nodded slightly, Miaka smirked smugly before continuing, "First of all wise guy, I might have wanted to keep him to myself a little bit first. He did die in the book world you know! I think I'm entitled to a little bit of quality time with him before I have to be chaperoned everywhere I go with him just because you don't like him!"
Taka growled, "It's not that I don't like him. His majesty was and probably is still a great person, but I don't trust him alone with you. Do you remember what else happened in the book besides Hotohori dying? The guy nearly lobbed by head off and then he stabbed me!"
Miaka leaped to her other Seishi's defense, "You were temporarily insane and trying to kill me! He was just trying to protect me!" she hissed at him, sounding as much like an angry tiger as Taka could imagine.
"He also kissed you and proposed!" he snarled, "Don't try to deny it! I heard it all!"
Miaka gave him a half-exasperated, half-"I'm trying not to kill you" look, "Yes. He did do those things. But what are you so worried about anyway?"
His confused look spurred Miaka on.
"You've never had to worry about me falling for some other guy before. Why is it such a big deal now? If your faith in our relationship really that weak?" the words weren't yelled, not spat, just said in such a deadly calm voice that Taka's blood ran cold.
"I'm not worried, it's just…" the sardonic expression she gave him changed his mind, "Oh alright. I am worried." He gripped her shoulders lightly, "Did you see how he was looking at you?" Taka's eyes were wide and somewhat wild looking as he said it.
Miaka shook her head, "No, not really."
"He still wants you. I can see that." Miaka's eyes widened at that. If only Taka knew the rest of the story… "And I don't want you going anywhere with him without me from now on because I'm afraid he'll try something." His eyes had softened a bit as he gazed down at Miaka, "I don't want to lose you. You're not just my girlfriend, Miaka. You're the reason I exist."
The words, try as she might to fight them, to avoid letting them work on her the way they always did, nevertheless tugged at Miaka's heart and she felt herself literally melt into Taka's arms. She felt tears prick at her eyes as she let him hold her. She sighed contentedly at the pleasant warmth that his body gave off. He was right. According to the book, she was the reason Taka even existed in either world.
The reason any of her Seishi had existed.
Then something clicked into place and it was as though she were seeing everything through a crystal clear reality.
She was the reason that Andy was here as well.
Growling slightly in anger at how easily Taka had been able to push her buttons, Miaka shoved him away from her just hard enough to make him stumble. "Don't give me anymore of that lovey dovey 'we'll always be together' crap because this time it's not going to help you get out of trouble." She jabbed her index finger at him, "You'd better find a different way of apologizing buddy because as far as I'm concerned you just dug your own grave!" she stomped up the stairs to the apartment entrance, stopping to yell at him once more, "The cornerstone of love is trust, Taka. If you can't trust me then we don't have anything." She scowled, "Consider yourself single until you figure that out!"
And with that, she slammed the door and stormed up to her family's apartment.
Miaka waited impatiently for Yui to finish walking up the steps to the apartment. Why did her family have to live in the very top floor? Why?
Finally, there came a knock at the door.
Miaka threw the door open and yanked Yui inside.
After fending off her best friends attack, Yui set down her purse and took off her jacket, setting them on the couch, "So what's up? Why did you have to have me come all the way down here instead of just talking to me on the phone?"
Miaka tried not to cry. She really did. But the pent up frustration from everything that had been happening chose that exact moment to explode.
"Yui-chan!"
Yui didn't even have tome to think about getting out of the way. Miaka had glomped onto her and was sobbing her heart out on Yui's shoulder. Trying her best not to knock the both of them over, Yui settled herself on the couch, Miaka following her and curling up next to her like a lost child.
In the next half an hour (with a few break for a bout of tears) Miaka managed to recount everything that had happened Andy and Taka-wise for the last two days.
Yui mused quietly as Miaka told her about Andy having made a move on her at the hotel, the feelings of jealousy Miaka had had when Shiko had arrived, and how Taka had shown up at the worst possible time – since he had seen Andy and Miaka's little "scene."
"Wow." Yui rubbed her temples gently with her index fingers. She just knew she was going to get a headache before the night was over. "So let me get this straight. You've been wanting Taka to pay more attention to you. Feeling lonely and such. Then Andy shows up and you aren't so lonely anymore. Then Taka shows up to try and fix things and you get mad at him."
Miaka squirmed, "Well when you put it that way it makes me sound like some awful witch…"
"You know what I mean. That's just the basic stuff. The real problem isn't whether Taka's paying attention to you or not is it? The problem is that you aren't so sure of your feelings anymore are you?"
Miaka squirmed some more, "Yui… You're making me sound horrible!"
"You're not horrible, Miaka. You just don't know what you want. That's natural."
"Eh…well then why do I feel so bad?" Miaka sulked. Taka was great. But she was really beginning to get attached to Andy. She didn't want to even think about him leaving in a week, and she really disliked the thought of him being with anyone else. When she expressed these thoughts to Yui, the blonde merely smiled.
"I really don't know what to tell you Miaka. I never met Hotohori of I'd feel like I could give you some better advice." Yui sighed, she hoped that what she was about to tell her best friend was the right thing. "I think, that if you are having serious doubts at to where you and Taka stand that…." She paused watching Miaka's face closely for a reaction. That's what would tell her if she'd done the right thing or not. Whether Miaka knew it herself or not, her heart always seemed to be able to make the right choice. Yui envied her for that. Yui always felt so full of doubt. She had learned the hard way that it was the brain that a girl needed to watch out for. The mind always wanted to seek for the most logical answer. The heart however… Yui continued, "you should give Andy a chance."
There is was. That faint shimmer and a glow that suddenly erupted from the other girls face. Yui braced herself as she was suddenly glomped by a hundred and some-odd pounds auburn hair and green eyes. "Oh thank you Yui-chan! You're the best!!"
Yui smiled as she hugged her best friend. "You owe me."
Miaka laughed and squeezed harder just to annoy Yui. "Yes. Yes I do!"
After Miaka had calmed down, she sat down on the opposite end of the couch from Yui and curled up around a throw pillow, her chin resting on it lightly. "Yui?"
Yui cocked her head and grabbed her own pillow to hug. "Yeah?"
"Why did you tell me to give Andy a chance?" Miaka's grip tightened on the pillow, "Just curious."
"Well. First of all, you've been so unhappy with Taka lately that I was just about to start setting you up on blind dates."
Miaka giggled at the image of Yui shoving her out the door with several varieties of men, (pierced and tattooed, clean cut, and "exotic" crossed her mind), "Really?"
"Yes. Really!" Yui nodded. "Not only that, but from what I know…" her voice got quiet, "From what I read before being sucked back into the Universe of the Four Gods, it looked like he really loved you." She paused, gauging Miaka's reactions, "And then when you had to go back to fight Tenkou, I found out that he'd married a lady named Houki and had a son. He doesn't sound like the kind of person to marry someone he didn't love," Yui noticed how Miaka's face fell at that, "But I doubt that he ever really stopped loving you. The man waited his entire life to for you," She saw Miaka cringe at that, and was sorry that she'd made her feel bad, but continued on anyway, "and now that he's here, I think he deserves a chance to be loved more than anyone else I can think of."
Miaka nodded slightly. What Yui had said was one hundred percent completely true.
If anything, what she owed Hotohori more than anything was a chance.
And she was going to give that to him.
What did happen to Yumi's Inspiration Demon?
Hotohori: *hands Yumiko the ID which is bright eyed and healthy looking*
Yumiko: You fixed him!
Hotohori: *inconspicuously kicks a cardboard box with a clawed arm sticking out under the conveniently placed bed* Eh. Yeah. Don't mention it.
New Inspiration Demon: purrrrrrrrrrrr…….
Yumiko: *huggle*
Hotohori: So that's what happened to the last one… asphyxiation.
A day at the Black Hole:
Yumiko: *is asleep at the table the black hole sits at by the scratching post*
Hayai: *comes barging into MW, first thing she does is to poke Yumiko in the ribs*
Yumi: Aiyip!!
Hayai: You squeaky!!
Yumi: *glare* I sleepy!
Hayai: *blithely ignores the death glare* Didja work on WWMA?
Yumi: Eh…
Hayai: Post it! Post it! Post it!
Yumi: *glare*
Hayai: *self-preservation kicks in* Eh… Notes?
