Part 23: Butterfly Kisses

Goku

By the time Kougaiji, Onela, and I make it to the inn Hakkai, Shinta, and Gojyo are already on their way to the temple. The odd part is that I have no idea where Mayu is. Hisoka and Tsuzuki are sitting at the front counter fighting as usual, but I can't find my daughter. I search every room in the entire place. Suddenly, I hear whispers coming from the back of the barn.

"You know I love you, right?" a voice drawls.

"I'm not so sure about that, Jien," my daughter tells him. JIEN! I'll kill him, but for the moment I stay quiet. "I'mthree years older than you are, and I thought you liked your girls young."

"That was just fooling around, Mayu. This is serious. I'm really in love with you. Your age has nothing to do with it."

"I don't know if I should trust you. You're going to have to prove it to me."

"How?" he asks.

"Don't even touch another woman for six months." That's my girl! No way he'll agree to that.

"I'd do anything for you. But when that six months is over, will you marry me?"

My heart stops. I'm going to rip his dick off!

"Oh, Jien," she sighs. "Of course I will!"

I hear the sounds of them kissing and it's too much. "Get your hands off my daughter!" I shout.

Mayu glares at me. "Daddy, what do you think you are doing?"

"Saving you from this creep. Go into the house!"

Her eyes flash just as stubborn as Houmei's used to. "NO!"

Jien places a hand on her arm. "It's alright, honey. We'll just talk things over."

I watch my daughter walk to the house. "Don't you dare lie to her like this, Jien."

He shakes his head. "But I swear that I'm not lying. Look, I should have talked to you first and all, but I wanted to make sure she knew I loved her."

"You think I believe that you changed over night?"

"I wasn't over night, but yeah you should believe me," Jien says sincerely. I could almost believe him if it wasn't my little girl's heart I was trusting him with.

"Do you intend to go through with this? And I mean all the way." This isn't happening!

"I do."

I sigh. "Fine, but if you screw up…it won't matter that you're Gojyo's kid. I'll kill you."

Back in the house, I see the tears rolling down Mayu's cheeks. "I can't believe you would do that! After all the talk of how I shouldn't be afraid to love…"

"Baby, I never imagined that you'd fall for him. Don't you know what kind of reputation he has?"

"But what if I don't care? What if I love him anyway?"

Looking into those big golden eyes, I know that she means it. I just hope this doesn't come back to haunt her. "I told him that if he makes it the six months, he has my blessing." I conveniently leave out the part about killing him if he doesn't.

"Oh Daddy! I love you so much." She wraps her arms around me and kisses my cheek. It's going to be hell to give her away.

"I love you, too."