Keiko rolled over in bed and reached out only to find herself alone. She pushed herself up onto her elbow and stared at the place where her husband should have been. The soft strains of piano music floated up to her and she smiled. She rose and pulled on a robe and slippers before making her way down the stairs to the music room.
She silently opened the sliding doors and moved into the room, letting the resonant notes from the grand piano flow over her. She loved listening to her husband play the instrument. The top of the piano was strewn with various classical, jazz, contemporary, and pop pieces. Keiko smiled fondly. Her husband could play anything.
She watched him as he softly drew a sweet melody from the keys. His long hair was silver in the faint light of a nearby lamp, and was tied loosely away from his face. A pencil stuck out of his mouth for quick retrieval if he needed to fix or erase a measure.
Keiko's attention turned to a picture kept next to the piano on a small wooden table. It showed eight people, seven boys and a girl, standing in front of a ship. Keiko knew that it was a picture of the Suzaku Seishi and their miko as they had been in the world of the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho. Next to that picture was a newer one with more people. Keiko smiled as she named the names mentally to herself.
There was Aiden, the Irish-American construction worker that Haru had met in the States. Next to him was his wife, Mary, and their two kids Cody and Mia. There was Celesse, the violet-haired model from France with her finace D'Angelo, a handsome fashion designer from Italy. Miaka and Taka were standing together, their daughter Hikari in their arms. Kamuzu, a tall Egyptian doctor stood with his arm around Rana, his Indian assistant, and next to them stood Tun-jen, a young boy genius from Taiwan.
The picture had been taken on the day, two years ago, when Haru and Keiko had been married. It was the first time they'd all been together at once. Celesse and D'Angelo had bought the tickets for Aiden and his family to travel to Japan, and Tun-jen had appeared moments before the ceremony had begun. It had been a very memorable day for all involved.
Keiko wiped at the tears that the memory invariably brought. Haru caught the movement and turned to smile at her.
"I didn't mean to wake you," he said.
"You didn't," Keiko said, walking to his side.
He pulled her into his lap and nuzzled her neck. Keiko sighed and leaned into him.
"What are you working on?" she asked, her fingers running along the ivory keys of the piano.
Haru smiled and reached around her to play softly on the piano. The gentle strains of a lullaby rose into the air.
"It's beautiful," Keiko said.
A small frown creased Haru's brow. "I'm glad you think so, but this one part just isn't working for me."
He played the part he had indicated and Keiko couldn't hear anything wrong.
"The melody and harmony just don't quite fit," Haru said in frustration.
Keiko put a hand to one cheek and turned his face to look at her.
"I didn't notice anything wrong."
Haru sighed. "I just want it to be perfect for our little girl," he said, resting his hand on the slight swell of Keiko's stomach.
She put her hand over his and kissed his mouth.
"It will be. You make everything perfect."
Haru kissed her back, then deepened the kiss, drawing a soft gasp from Keiko. He nibbled his way down her throat as his hands caressed her.
"If you keep that up–" Keiko said breathlessly.
"Then what?" Haru asked, his mahogany eyes twinkling.
Keiko twisted away from him, but kept a hold of one of his hands.
"Race you back upstairs," she said, a matching twinkle in her eyes.
Haru stood and swept her into his arms.
"I have a much faster way of getting us there."
He kissed her again and they vanished from the room.
Author's Note:
Finally! The prologue. Hope you all enjoyed this story.
I'll be making revamps to the actual body of the story, so please check back for those. Hopefully the story will be a bit more clear with the additions. If not, then I'm just waxing long winded... again.(smile)
