Disclaimer: I still don't own Fushigi Yuugi!
Author's Note: First, I would like to thank those who reviewed my story.
Quickening: Thank you for those hints. (Yeah, that may have been a little unrealistic with the doll, but, also, at the time I wrote that chapter, I was a relatively strong supporter of Mia/Nuri pairing, so I just used that example from the manga that fit. I hope most everything else is more realistic.) I haven't been on ff.n for long, so I haven't really gotten any reviews that critique my work. I'm really happy you'll keep reading!
cygne-odile: Thank you! I'm glad you like it. I don't know about the lemon though. I'm actually trying to wrap it up in the nearish future. Maybe in 10 chapters or so. I'm not sure.
Ok, so thank you again, reviewers! Ummm..what else.Oh! This chappie is a decent length, so I'm only going to post one today. I think that's it. ~R.A.
Chapter 5: Revelations and Drunken Conversations
"This name is the one I did first. The one that didn't break the doll." Slowly, she opened her hand so he could see the name. Nuriko's jaw dropped. He had known that the doll broke the first Miaka had tried to do it for her and Tamahome, but he had thought that was a fluke, he /never/ would have thought /this/ would happen.
"M-my name? MY name was on the time that didn't break?"
She nodded. "That's right. And, actually, I got the idea after Taiitsukun came to see me."
"/Taiitsukun/ came to see you?! Why?"
"She came to tell me that I didn't have to 'withdraw from all my relationships and make myself miserable'. She said she just wanted me to be aware. Then, when she was starting to disappear, she told me that I could change my destiny to some degree. It was really weird, especially since I had just been thinking about," suddenly she stopped.
Nuriko was curious to hear what she had been thinking about, so he said, "What were you thinking about, Miaka? You can tell me. I won't laugh."
Miaka took a deep breath. "I was thinking about.what would happen if.if I had fallen in love with you first." she ended very softly. So softly, he almost wasn't sure of what she said.
*Whoh! Does that mean she would actually, /seriously/ consider me? What about Tamahome?* Nuriko was happily surprised, but still. "And?"
Miaka looked at him. *At least he's not laughing.* "And I decided that I liked getting to know you first, because you are one of my very best friends. I realized that I had come to cherish your company above all others. You've been there for me through thick and thin, always as a friend. The only other seishi that I would consider as good a friend would be Hotohori-he's always there, but I also always know that he's waiting for me-- if I ever leave Tamahome. And, well.with that knowledge, it doesn't always make me comfortable around him. I'm always comfortable around you.I guess.I guess that's why I love you, Nuriko. We're friends-equals, and on more levels than the others." She finished, then looked at Nuriko nervously to see his reaction.
Nuriko stood there in shock. He had never thought Miaka would be willing to let go of Tamahome, even for all the bishonen in any number of universes. He wouldn't have thought it possible, but here she was, telling him she loved him. And he knew it wasn't something she took lightly. *I guess there /is/ room in her mind for someone other than Tamahome. Though I guess I knew that, seeing how compassionate she is about the rest of us seishi.* He saw Miaka looking at him and realized that he'd better answer her, or she'd implode from nerves.
He smiled, went over, gathered her in his arms, and gave her the most passionate kiss she'd ever had, including those from Tamahome. In the kiss, Nuriko placed all his love and happiness. Telling her without words how he felt. When they broke, he said breathlessly, "I love you, too, Miaka. I just never said anything because of Tamahome and Hotohori and you being miko. I didn't want to add to your stress level.and I never thought you would return my feelings. I always thought that you would go to Hotohori if you and Tamahome ever broke up."
"Oh, Nuriko! You're always so nice.even if it hurts you. I don't know why I didn't realize this before. I know everyone thinks I would go to Hotohori, and maybe I would have if I hadn't gotten to know you so well. I love being able to talk to you without all the pressure. You're my best friend, but I love you so much. I've realized that, yes, I would miss Tamahome, but I would /really/ yearn for your company if you left. Besides, I could /never/ talk about my problems with Tamahome to Hotohori.You mean /so/ much to me! Don't ever leave!" She finished, repeating herself because she wanted so much to make Nuriko understand how deeply she felt. Nuriko understood, and drew her in for another kiss.
He stared into her eyes, as though looking into her soul. He nodded at what he seemed to see. "I think we'll be together forever, Miaka. But.what'll we do about Tamahome and Hotohori?"
She sighed against him, "I don't know.we'll think of something."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Meanwhile. While Nuriko and Miaka were laying their feelings on the table, we go back to Tamahome at the bar, laying on the sake.
He'd been there an hour and a half, and was well into his sixth sake when he got a new drinking partner.
She swaggered in like she owned the place, looked around, then sat next to Tamahome.
"Hi, I'm Keichi. Mind if I join you?"
Tamahome looked up at her. "Hi.I'm Tamerhome.Shure ya kin join me, but I prolly won' be mush comperny," he said, slurring.
"Oh, and why is that? You seem like a fun-lovin' kinda guy. Ah. Must be "Girl Troubles"," she guessed sagely (Yes, she even did the "air- quotes").
Tamahome nodded gloomily, and not realizing what he was doing since he was so plastered, he poured out his woes to Keichi. "It's a long story, but the short version is: this girl and I are destined to be together, but /everyone/, and I mean /everyone/--from gods, creators, and enemies to friends and even her, seem to have it in for us as a couple. Someone's always separating us, or telling us we can't be together, or /she/ tells me that, and frankly, I'm tired of it. This last time, I basically told her we should have sex, and she can't do that and still get home." Tamahome heaved a tremendous sigh. "Ya know? After all this, I don't even think we're destined to be together anymore what with everyone separating us and making things h***. Now all I want is to finish this mission; find someone to settle down with, even if it isn't with her; have kids; count money; and have an all around easy life," he finished and waved the bartender over for more sake, which proceeded to sit, untouched, while he talked to Keichi.
"Tough life. What's your occupation, Tamahome?"
"Suzaku seishi. You?"
"Bandit. It's tough, but I like it. So.what'll you do after you finish you mission? What kinda job you thinkin' 'bout?"
Tamahome shrugged. "I'll prolly go back to making money killing baddies for small villages.wait! You're a bandit. Do you know Tasuki?"
"Tasuki? Sure I do. He was our old boss, though now it's his frien' Kouji. Why?"
"Well, I know Tasuki 'cuz he's a seishi, and I remembered he was a bandit, too. Hey, you wanna come back with me an' see him? He'd be glad to see another bandit, I think. Besides, you're good company. We can talk some more." *She's pretty, too. This may be my lucky day!*
Keichi nodded, "Sure! I'd like ta see him, and talk to you more. But.won't yer girl get mad?"
"I dunno. 'Sides, she dumped me, 'member?"
Keichi looked dubious. "Alright. If you think it'll be ok, let's go!"
A/N: Ano.. In that last part, Tamahome suddenly got un-drunk, didn't he?...Oops.well, he has a tough stomach! ^^;; Ummm, also I'd like to say that some parts of this fic may seem a little unrealistic. I tried to keep it as close as possible, but, like in the next chapter, some people might find the whole basis a little unreal. I'm just warning all my readers so you know. ~R.A.
Author's Note: First, I would like to thank those who reviewed my story.
Quickening: Thank you for those hints. (Yeah, that may have been a little unrealistic with the doll, but, also, at the time I wrote that chapter, I was a relatively strong supporter of Mia/Nuri pairing, so I just used that example from the manga that fit. I hope most everything else is more realistic.) I haven't been on ff.n for long, so I haven't really gotten any reviews that critique my work. I'm really happy you'll keep reading!
cygne-odile: Thank you! I'm glad you like it. I don't know about the lemon though. I'm actually trying to wrap it up in the nearish future. Maybe in 10 chapters or so. I'm not sure.
Ok, so thank you again, reviewers! Ummm..what else.Oh! This chappie is a decent length, so I'm only going to post one today. I think that's it. ~R.A.
Chapter 5: Revelations and Drunken Conversations
"This name is the one I did first. The one that didn't break the doll." Slowly, she opened her hand so he could see the name. Nuriko's jaw dropped. He had known that the doll broke the first Miaka had tried to do it for her and Tamahome, but he had thought that was a fluke, he /never/ would have thought /this/ would happen.
"M-my name? MY name was on the time that didn't break?"
She nodded. "That's right. And, actually, I got the idea after Taiitsukun came to see me."
"/Taiitsukun/ came to see you?! Why?"
"She came to tell me that I didn't have to 'withdraw from all my relationships and make myself miserable'. She said she just wanted me to be aware. Then, when she was starting to disappear, she told me that I could change my destiny to some degree. It was really weird, especially since I had just been thinking about," suddenly she stopped.
Nuriko was curious to hear what she had been thinking about, so he said, "What were you thinking about, Miaka? You can tell me. I won't laugh."
Miaka took a deep breath. "I was thinking about.what would happen if.if I had fallen in love with you first." she ended very softly. So softly, he almost wasn't sure of what she said.
*Whoh! Does that mean she would actually, /seriously/ consider me? What about Tamahome?* Nuriko was happily surprised, but still. "And?"
Miaka looked at him. *At least he's not laughing.* "And I decided that I liked getting to know you first, because you are one of my very best friends. I realized that I had come to cherish your company above all others. You've been there for me through thick and thin, always as a friend. The only other seishi that I would consider as good a friend would be Hotohori-he's always there, but I also always know that he's waiting for me-- if I ever leave Tamahome. And, well.with that knowledge, it doesn't always make me comfortable around him. I'm always comfortable around you.I guess.I guess that's why I love you, Nuriko. We're friends-equals, and on more levels than the others." She finished, then looked at Nuriko nervously to see his reaction.
Nuriko stood there in shock. He had never thought Miaka would be willing to let go of Tamahome, even for all the bishonen in any number of universes. He wouldn't have thought it possible, but here she was, telling him she loved him. And he knew it wasn't something she took lightly. *I guess there /is/ room in her mind for someone other than Tamahome. Though I guess I knew that, seeing how compassionate she is about the rest of us seishi.* He saw Miaka looking at him and realized that he'd better answer her, or she'd implode from nerves.
He smiled, went over, gathered her in his arms, and gave her the most passionate kiss she'd ever had, including those from Tamahome. In the kiss, Nuriko placed all his love and happiness. Telling her without words how he felt. When they broke, he said breathlessly, "I love you, too, Miaka. I just never said anything because of Tamahome and Hotohori and you being miko. I didn't want to add to your stress level.and I never thought you would return my feelings. I always thought that you would go to Hotohori if you and Tamahome ever broke up."
"Oh, Nuriko! You're always so nice.even if it hurts you. I don't know why I didn't realize this before. I know everyone thinks I would go to Hotohori, and maybe I would have if I hadn't gotten to know you so well. I love being able to talk to you without all the pressure. You're my best friend, but I love you so much. I've realized that, yes, I would miss Tamahome, but I would /really/ yearn for your company if you left. Besides, I could /never/ talk about my problems with Tamahome to Hotohori.You mean /so/ much to me! Don't ever leave!" She finished, repeating herself because she wanted so much to make Nuriko understand how deeply she felt. Nuriko understood, and drew her in for another kiss.
He stared into her eyes, as though looking into her soul. He nodded at what he seemed to see. "I think we'll be together forever, Miaka. But.what'll we do about Tamahome and Hotohori?"
She sighed against him, "I don't know.we'll think of something."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Meanwhile. While Nuriko and Miaka were laying their feelings on the table, we go back to Tamahome at the bar, laying on the sake.
He'd been there an hour and a half, and was well into his sixth sake when he got a new drinking partner.
She swaggered in like she owned the place, looked around, then sat next to Tamahome.
"Hi, I'm Keichi. Mind if I join you?"
Tamahome looked up at her. "Hi.I'm Tamerhome.Shure ya kin join me, but I prolly won' be mush comperny," he said, slurring.
"Oh, and why is that? You seem like a fun-lovin' kinda guy. Ah. Must be "Girl Troubles"," she guessed sagely (Yes, she even did the "air- quotes").
Tamahome nodded gloomily, and not realizing what he was doing since he was so plastered, he poured out his woes to Keichi. "It's a long story, but the short version is: this girl and I are destined to be together, but /everyone/, and I mean /everyone/--from gods, creators, and enemies to friends and even her, seem to have it in for us as a couple. Someone's always separating us, or telling us we can't be together, or /she/ tells me that, and frankly, I'm tired of it. This last time, I basically told her we should have sex, and she can't do that and still get home." Tamahome heaved a tremendous sigh. "Ya know? After all this, I don't even think we're destined to be together anymore what with everyone separating us and making things h***. Now all I want is to finish this mission; find someone to settle down with, even if it isn't with her; have kids; count money; and have an all around easy life," he finished and waved the bartender over for more sake, which proceeded to sit, untouched, while he talked to Keichi.
"Tough life. What's your occupation, Tamahome?"
"Suzaku seishi. You?"
"Bandit. It's tough, but I like it. So.what'll you do after you finish you mission? What kinda job you thinkin' 'bout?"
Tamahome shrugged. "I'll prolly go back to making money killing baddies for small villages.wait! You're a bandit. Do you know Tasuki?"
"Tasuki? Sure I do. He was our old boss, though now it's his frien' Kouji. Why?"
"Well, I know Tasuki 'cuz he's a seishi, and I remembered he was a bandit, too. Hey, you wanna come back with me an' see him? He'd be glad to see another bandit, I think. Besides, you're good company. We can talk some more." *She's pretty, too. This may be my lucky day!*
Keichi nodded, "Sure! I'd like ta see him, and talk to you more. But.won't yer girl get mad?"
"I dunno. 'Sides, she dumped me, 'member?"
Keichi looked dubious. "Alright. If you think it'll be ok, let's go!"
A/N: Ano.. In that last part, Tamahome suddenly got un-drunk, didn't he?...Oops.well, he has a tough stomach! ^^;; Ummm, also I'd like to say that some parts of this fic may seem a little unrealistic. I tried to keep it as close as possible, but, like in the next chapter, some people might find the whole basis a little unreal. I'm just warning all my readers so you know. ~R.A.