Chapter 6: Surprise, Surprise
Disclaimer: I do not own RK, but I do own the fanfic.
"What the heck are you doing still inside the building!" A frantic voice hissed into the ear piece of Aoshi's cell phone.
Aoshi smartly answered, "Huh?"
"Get her out of the apartment! We only have an hour tops to finish all the preparations!" Megumi was slowly but surely slipping into panic mode. "You are supposed to be at the restaurant already! What if the concierge thinks that the whole thing was called off! You know how it is during Friday evenings! People literally kill each other for tables at that restaurant!" She ended her long tirade by screeching Aoshi's name. "AOSHI!"
When she was planning the surprise birthday party for Kaoru she had taken to account every detail and second. Everything had a schedule and a list, much to Aoshi's consternation. It took a lot than the usual to ruffle the young man's feathers but when it came to his dear cousin, he sometimes found himself reconsidering the whole inner-calm- Zen thing.
Aoshi pulled back his head a meter from his cell phone. He was quite surprised that the ear piece in his phone didn't cackle in the high frequency of Megumi's voice. Trust Megumi to get a coronary in planning a birthday party.
"Yeah, yeah. We're leaving-" Aoshi abruptly stopped mid sentence as he checked his watch. "Megumi.." His voice was calm but was laced with something opposite to it. "Please check your watch."
"Aoshi, this is not the time to see if I know how to read my watch." Megumi retorted. "I went to medical school so I'm pretty sure as hell that I can tell time."
"Well then, please don't mind if I tell the dean of medicine to take back your diploma." Aoshi countered icily. He doesn't usually let his temper get the best of him, but the woman woke him from his nap. Another one of the rules of the Shinomori/Takani household was that never ever wake up Aoshi unless if it was a matter of life or death, if money was involved, and if Nicole Kidman was knocking at the door.
A long pause followed on the other line. "I'm sorry." Megumi said meekly. "Please forgive me, Yoshi." She asked quietly. In her haste to leave for work, she read her watch wrong. Aoshi was supposed to get Kaoru out by 6:30. She thought it was already 7:30 for some reason.
Aoshi sighed softly. As soon as Megumi uttered his childhood nickname, Yoshi everything was forgiven. Hewas a pushover when it came to his cousin and sister, and he really didn't mind. When it came down to it, he could never get mad at his cousin or his sister for long. In Kaoru's case she just had to turn those sapphire eyes of hers with a ridiculously good expression of disappointment or sadness, and she'd have Aoshi saying sorry to her. Aoshi was genuinely surprised that she didn't choose theatre as her major.
"No, it's my fault. I should be leaving anyway. Sorry for snapping at you." Aoshi ran a hand through his hair – a mannerism he seemed to do whenever he was apologizing for something.
"No, I'm such a control freak sometimes." Megumi chuckled into the phone. There was a quick pause. "Aoshi, shouldn't you be getting Kaoru out already?"
"You were saying?" Aoshi's voice took a wry tone. Megumi could practically see the smirk of his face. "I'll just call you if something comes up."
"Oh no." Megumi groaned. "Sano, Soujiro, and the rest of your colleagues are loitering around the lobby."
"What are they doing out so early?" Aoshi's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Can you do me a favor and ask them if they finished editing the photos? I don't want a repeat of last time. I'm not taking to that Komagata woman again. Sometimes I think they don't do their job just to annoy me." Aoshi muttered.
"I'll let them know. Meanwhile take Kaoru out already. Your colleagues are usually later than fashionably late. The other guests may start arriving already." Megumi warned, while waving to the group of men who were sticking out like a sore thumb amidst the people walking in and out of the lobby. "OH! And wear the blue sweater I got you for Christmas."
"Fine. I'll see you." Aoshi ended the call and strode purposefully at Kaoru's room. "Kaoru?" he knocked firmly on the door. "We're going to be late for the reservations. We're leaving in 5 minutes."
The door opened revealing a dressed up Kaoru sporting a pout on her face. "Megumi planned my outfit… AGAIN." Megumi, in her all knowing obsessive-compulsive ways, laid out for Kaoru several options, should she be confused. Kaoru ended up donning on her nice pair of jeans, a brown and aqua silk paisley-print camisole paired with aqua knit beaded bolero. She then completed the look with her pointy flat black slides.
"Don't worry. She bossed me too in wearing this blue sweater." Aoshi gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sorry if I didn't wake you up. I thought that you had an alarm set or something." Kaoru apologized checking her watch as she made a grab for her black clutch.
"No, it's fine." Aoshi hollered from his room. He was pulling the light blue sweater over his gray collared shirt. Slipping on his Pumas and pocketing his keys, he strode over the kitchen to turn off the lights. "Let's go, Kaoru."
"Yep." She replied as she stepped outside the apartment so that Aoshi can lock up. "I'll meet you at the lobby!" She yelled as she bounded down the hall to head for the elevator.
"NO!" Aoshi yelled back. "Wait for me, Kaoru!" He ran over to the elevator and stopped the doors from closing from the nick of time. "We're a bit impatient huh?" He threw her a glare that lacked intensity.
"Touchy much?" Kaoru mused quietly.
They finally reached ground floor and as they walked to the door, Kaoru couldn't help notice the delivery man that just passed by. He was holding the most beautiful bouquet of roses, colors ranging from yellow, peach, pink, and white.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Kaoru's face broke out into a yawn as soon as she closed the door to their apartment. She had been hugging and kissing her good friends and colleagues goodbye. Her surprise birthday party had ended during the wee hours of the morning. It was a good party. Kaoru didn't how she did it, but Megumi had somehow roped the guests into a hilarious game of charades and spin-the-bottle. She bit back a laugh as relieved in her mind the high light of the party – the boys doing karaoke for losing at charades and Aoshi kissing Misao at the spin-the-bottle game. By some mysterious hand guiding the bottle, people Megumi and Kaoru had been trying to hook up, ended up kissing each other.
Aoshi playfully nudged her from her reverie. "So… were you surprised?"
Kaoru chuckled softly. "Yes, I was surprised." Kaoru couldn't help but smile as she recalled how Aoshi got her out of the house and distracted her. "You really know how to push my buttons, huh?"
"Standard operating procedures of an older brother." Aoshi answered as if stating a fact. "I hope you weren't too stressed out." Aoshi looked at his little sister worriedly.
"No, I wasn't." Kaoru looped her arm around her brother's and leaned her head against his arm. "Thanks."
Aoshi gave her one of his rare grins. "I'm pretty sweet aren't I?"
"Yeah, yeah." Kaoru rolled her eyes.
"I have to go and referee." Aoshi sighed. "Sano's within Megumi's 3 meter radius." Aoshi hollered, "Can you two please clean up while bickering?"
Kaoru just giggled. "Go ahead." She watched her brother pry Megumi off Sano. Megumi had always had a thing for Sano. The moment the lady doctor set her eyes on gentle and mischievous brown eyes, she was sold. The thing with Megumi was that she had a very unique way of showing her interest on the man. She chewed and spat him out every chance she got.
Feeling like a kid on Christmas day, Kaoru smiled goofily as she looked through her presents. Her eyes immediately fell to the beautiful bouquet of flowers. All through the night she'd been dying to know who they were from. She hadn't been able to look at the card when she was transferring the roses to a simple, tall glass vase. She picked up the unusually large card that accompanied the bouquet. Carefully opening it, Kaoru pulled out a brightly decorated home-made card. She couldn't help but coo, "Aw," as she read the card.
Happy Birthday Teacher Kaoru! I hope you like the card I made you. I drawed the big cake all by myself. I stuck the glitter stickers too. Nichan helped me with the balloons. I helped Nichan pick out the roses. I hope you get lots of presents and lots of cake. You're my bestest and favoritest teacher in the whole wide world. Happy Birthday!
Love,
Tomoe
Kaoru couldn't stop saying "Aw." It was definitely one of the best friends she received. She read the card one more time before carefully placing it inside the envelope. "This," she thought, "is what makes it all worth it."
She got a yellow rose stem and stroked the petals gently. How did Tomoe know I like yellow roses? Then something clicked. She suddenly remembered mentioning at the PTF that her favorite flowers were yellow roses. A stupid grin slowly made its way to her face.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Last Night…
"DING-DONG!"
"Coming!" Enishi Yukishiro shouted from the kitchen where he had been helping his little sister with her latest project.
"Who is it?" Enishi asked of habit as he reached the beautifully carved oak door. He waited for an answer even though he already knew who it was.
"Your lover boy, Yukishiro!" Akira purposefully hollered in response. The door swung open revealing Enishi's usual bored face. Akira greeted him with a grin and Enishi just rolled his eyes in response as he closed the door. As Akira walked into the kitchen, he expected the usual hug and kiss from his god daughter, but it didn't come.
"I come bearing dinner!" Akira announced, laying down 2 boxes of pizza and the rest of the fixings it came with. He looked over to the toddler coloring furiously. "I'd like my usual hug and kiss anytime now…" He sing-songed. After a few seconds, the toddler finally looked up to find Uncle Kira looking very much liker her when she didn't get her way. In a frighteningly similar way to her brother's, Tomoe rolled her eyes and made her way to the other side of the kitchen table to give her sulking Uncle Kira a hug and kiss. After the custom salutations, she began her diligent coloring again.
Akira looked over to Enishi with a questioning glance.
"Birthday card." Enishi answered simply.
A look of understanding passed through Akira eyes. With a patronizing and amused look, Akira went over to Tomoe and ruffled her hair. "Honey, my birthday's not until the next 5 months." Every birthday, ever since Tomoe learned how to hold a crayon, she had been giving birthday "drawings" to her dear Uncle Kira. Akira always looked forward to them.
Tomoe stopped and looked at her godfather oddly. "It's not for you, Uncle Kira."
Enishi snorted.
Akira for a moment there was embarrassed but he quickly recovered. "Who is it for then?"
"Teacher Kaoru!" Tomoe answered cheerfully. Her onyx eyes shone with excitement as she began to explain the design of her project. "I drew her a birthday cake. It's chocolate with white icing. Chocolate's her favorite." Tomoe explained as if talking to someone very ignorant.
"Teacher Kaoru huh?" Akira murmured to himself. He slowly turned his head to look at his best friend. A mischievous smirk made its way to his handsome face when he saw Enishi's expression.
Enishi's surprise was not really evident. Only the people close to him could understand and see his subtle reactions to things. By the way Akira was smirking at him, Enishi knew that he knew he was surprised too. When his sister asked him to draw balloons for her, it never occurred to him to ask for who the birthday card was. It wasn't unusual for him to see Tomoe doing little arts and crafts.
Tomoe suddenly looked up to her brother. "Nichan…" She began slowly, smiling sweetly in the process.
"Hmm?" Enishi already knew what was coming next.
"Can I ask you something?" Tomoe's smile turned innocent and a bit coy.
As soon as Enishi saw the smile, his guard was up. He definitely wasn't looking forward to Tomoe's teenage years. "Sure, sweetie."
"If it's okay with you, can we get Teacher Kaoru a gift?" Tomoe pulled out the big guns by batting her eyelashes and letting out an adorable smile.
Taken aback by her sister's request, he replied, "Sure. Do you have an idea what to give her?"
"Yup." Tomoe chirped. "Thanks Nichan!"
"What do you plan on giving her?" Enishi looked over to Akira who seemed quite entertained with the scene unfolding before him.
"What every girl wants!" Tomoe answered, as she began sticking purple glitter stickers all over the card.
"And what does every girl want?" Enishi asked looking over to Akira and sharing his amused look.
Tomoe looked up very surprised as if her brother didn't know. "A pony!" The little girl stared at her brother and her uncle as if taken aback. "You didn't know that?"
"You're planning to give your teacher a pony?" Enishi didn't bother trying to understand where his sister got that.
"Yeah!" Tomoe smiled at her brother. "All girls like ponies.
Enishi thought out his next words carefully. His sister shared his stubborn streak. Once she made up her mind about something it was very difficult to talk her out of it.
"Let's see you get out of this one." Akira chuckled as he passed by to get a slice of pizza.
"Tomoe, sweetie…" Enishi started hesitantly. "I don't think-" He suddenly stopped mid sentence when he something clicked in his mind. "Tomoe, I have a better idea for a present for Teacher Kaoru."
"Better than a pony?" Tomoe questioned him, looking very skeptic.
"Yeah. I know exactly what Teacher Kaoru would love to receive for her birthday." Enishi grinned at his little sister. He didn't know why but something kept telling him that night to remember Kaoru's favorite flowers. He felt a sense of foreboding. It was like his gut was telling him that the little bit of information would be useful someday. The instincts that made him a ruthless formidable lawyer in his field had saved him once again.
"How do you know that?" Tomoe still seemed to be doubtful. She couldn't quite comprehend that Teacher Kaoru wouldn't like a pony.
Enishi smiled fondly at her sister. She already had the makings of a good interrogator. "We talked."
Akira snorted.
Sending a quick glare in Akira's direction, Enishi began rationalizing. "Remember that adult party at your school I went to with Uncle Kira? I talked to her at that time."
Tomoe's eyes twinkled with something Enishi couldn't quite name. "Isn't she nice? And she's so pretty too. She's my favorite teacher."
"Yeah… she is." Akira decided then to butt in, cocking his head to the side as if remembering.
"She told me that she loved yellow roses." Enishi said keeping his eyes on his sister and avoiding Akira's mirthful gaze.
"Teacher Kaoru loves flowers!" Tomoe's grin spread from ear to ear.
"We'll pick up a bunch of them tomorrow and we'll send them on that day too." Enishi sat on the chair beside the excited toddler. "How's that?"
"You're the best, Nichan!" Tomoe scrambled from her seat to give her favorite brother a kiss and a hug. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome." Enishi chuckled, as he held his sister in his arms.