Fento: (runs in gasping) help me! She's after me!
Ellenlome: (looking up from…a game of poker with Muta, Haru and Phantom Ange! …O.o…) Who?
Fento: (is panicking) Her!
Ellenlome: (raises an eyebrow) Are you on sugar high again?
Muta: (deals a card) That joke is fast becoming old.
michievious-lil-kitsune: (Runs in with a butterfly net, sees Fento and starts running after him)
Fento: (Squeaks and runs away)
Muta: Royal flush. You lose. (grins)
Ellenlome: I don't. I've got a coyote and road runner hand, and if I add the dynamite ace in, it makes for a Hilarious Gag, which means that YOU lose. (smiles innocently)
Muta: We're playing poker Ellenlome.
Ellenlome: No we aren't. (smiles wickedly) And since you didn't know, you get a gage!
Muta: Uh?
Ellenlome: EarthAngel! (EarthAngel strides in) You did say you wanted a Muta Moshi right?
EarthAngel: Yay! (grabs Muta and runs off)
Muta: You'll pay for this! Argh!
Ellenlome: (smiles and looks back to the game) hey! What happened to the cards!
Haru and Phantom Ange: (cuddling little rabbits) Aren't they cute?
Ellenlome: Somehow I think that introducing you to magic wasn't a good idea.
Haru: (whispering to Phantom Ange) I think she's out of ideas for her disclaimers. This one wasn't even funny.
Phantom Ange: (chuckles)
Ellenlome (slaps self): I'm not sure reviewer cameos are such a good idea anymore. You're all getting waaay too smart.
Whispers of a distant land: Chapter nine
The healing "ward" wasn't really one. If anything, it looked more like a giant bedroom for a numerous family, whose members had all gone out for the night, leaving behind empty beds of all sizes. All empty, except one. About three quarters of the length of the room, under a window, a small form was resting. Haru silently made her way to the cat and sat down on the chair that had so recently been occupied by Kanade the healer.
As she looked down at the cat, Haru's eyes softened, and she impulsively reached out and started stroking him lightly between the ears. She was a bit surprised when, in his sleep, he leaned in to her touch. Could it be…? But no, she wouldn't go down that path, lest she was wrong in her assumptions. Instead, she just sat there, a soft smile she hadn't even known was there on her lips. Baron was safe, and in that moment it was all that mattered to her. It didn't matter to her that she was in love with a cat figurine, or that said love may not be returned, or even that there was a war brewing out there. She knew it sounded selfish, but as long as she could be by his side, all was well in the world for her.
Later into the night, a single moonbeam, streaming through the drawn curtains, was witness to a very strange and unusual sight that night. As it fell from the sky, it landed on a large hand holding a much smaller one. The moonbeam found this very intriguing and so bounced on a small ring on the woman's hand and back to the Moon. When told about this, the Moon called her daughters the Stars to come and have a look at this strange sight that one of her sons had found, and when gazing upon the sleeping cat and woman, the Moon and Stars decided that all was well indeed.
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In the morning, the curious moonbeam had changed into a teasing sunray, and as it made its way in the room it stirred one occupant of the room.
Baron's eyes opened slowly, and he immediately shut them at the sudden brightness. But as he tried to bring up his arm to block out the offending light, he found himself unable to do so. Was he bound? His eyes fully opened now, Baron looked down, only to find Haru's head resting on his bare shoulder, one hand holding his, and the other arm draped across his chest and holding his other arm.
Baron blinked. It was then of course that the fact that Haru's head was on his shoulder registered in his mind, and he suddenly realized that there were two cat ears poking out of Haru's hair, and from his position he could barely see her tail twitching. The orange cat resisted the urge to sit bolt upright in shock, lest he woke up Haru. But even though his head went back to the pillow, inside he was in near-panic. What could have happened? Try as he might, he couldn't even guess why Haru was there, in cat form, and sleeping on his shoulder.
What happened while I was out? Why is she in cat-form? Did someone force her into changing like last time? On the other hand, she doesn't seem panicked. She's so beautiful…Wait, did I just think that? Oh lord, I did. What's going on with me? (A/N: Well, yeah, he's confused. Wouldn't you be?)
But while he had been thinking, the little sunray had grown bored with Baron and decided it was high time to wake up the other person. And so…
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Haru woke up in the most pleasant of ways, with the birds chirping and to the steady rise and fall of her pillow. That is, it was a pleasant way to wake up until that last fact registered into her sleep-heavy mind, and she stiffened. She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid to see where she was, because there was but one explanation to a breathing warm pillow. A low rumble, coming from beneath her, finally came out as a small chuckle. There was no denying it now, and so Haru slowly lifted her head, and her eyes met his.
The chuckle stopped, and the two just lay there, their gazes locked upon the other's eyes. Time's river slowed around the two, and in the peace and intensity of that small place, it stopped and took a short rest that was eternity to the two cats.
As she looked into the green depths, Haru suddenly understood the expression "drowning into one's eyes", and she was even surer of her decision. Gazing into those eyes, she was sure; no she knew that, in a billion years, she would never ever regret it.
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Baron couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the brown orbs. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, his heart was fastening its pace by the second. She was so beautiful. And as he stared into her eyes, the truth became apparent to him. Of course. How could he have been so blind? How was it that he never saw the love in them, how could he have mistaken it for simple friendship? He had dismissed it, denied it for so long, and now...
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Haru could read so much and at the same time so few in the piercing green eyes. There were so many things she wanted to say, but the words seemed to get caught in her throat, just beyond her reach, and it frustrated her. Unbeknownst to her, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
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The baron was shocked to see her cry, and he impulsively reached out and softly whipped it away. His hand never leaved her face.
"Don't cry, Haru, please don't cry." he whispered as his hand caressed the side of her face. "It hurts me to see you cry…"
"Baron…" she murmured, barely parting her lips. Baron smiled. She looked so much like the frightened schoolgirl from four years ago, and yet there was a subtle difference between the two, a difference he had liked seeing, a difference he had fallen in love with...
"You're so beautiful…" Haru's heart did a fancy summersault. "Haru…" When did they move so close to one another? His hand was now in her hair, playing with the silky chocolate strands. They were leaning closer to one another by the second now.
When their lips met, Baron wished that this moment lasts forever. Haru's arms were behind his neck now, but neither seemed to notice. Nothing could have separated them, and at the time everything seemed perfect. Baron had never felt better in his whole life. They were out of breath by the time the kiss ended, but they had never felt so happy in their entire life, and as Haru rested her head on his shoulder once more, panting slightly, Baron smiled, holding her as close as he could.
"I love you," he whispered in her hair. It smelled like lavender, and the cat relished in the scent.
Haru shifted slightly. She had guessed what he said, but she needed to hear it, loud and clear. It was such a small thing, yet it meant so much to her…
"Baron?"
Baron smiled fully this time. Saying what he felt out loud had been like deliverance to him, he never knew it could hurt so much to hold his feelings inside.
"I love you, Haru," he repeated, and Haru smiled widely. "I love you, and I'll say it as many times and as loud as necessary for the whole world to hear if it makes you smile like that every time."
Haru leaned over and kissed him lightly. "And I love you, Baron. I've always loved you." She chuckled. "So much for my little crush."
Baron chuckled too at the small reference to her confession. "Indeed," he said as he stroked her hair and fur, "Indeed…"
As they sat there in contented silence, the Sun continued its steady course across the sky, and as it did the mischievous dawn rays were replaced by the steady morning sunrays who, in their wisdom, gave the couple a pleasantly warm air to bask in. They could have stayed forever like that, not caring about the world and living in their own little paradise, but they both knew it couldn't be so right now, and so they sighed as reality caught up to them and they reluctantly drew apart, although their hands held each other's still, their fingers intertwined. Haru moved slightly over, ending up in Baron's lap, but either they didn't notice or didn't care, none questioned it. It felt right.
In an attempt to capture the moment, Baron looked at Haru, really looked at her. She was still wearing the cream skirt and green top she had been wearing the night before, whatever spell that had transformed apparently shrinking her clothes as well. They clung well to her, highlighting her curves, and the cat noticed that she had retained a more human form, more like him than a normal cat. She had the tail, ears, whiskers and fur of a cat, but she still had human hands as his own, although padded as a cat's paw, and he could guess that her feet would be like his own: a cross between a paw and human foot. A catwoman. Baron smiled slightly at the analogy.
But the most human trait she retained were her eyes…They were still the deep chocolate brown they had been when he first met her, the wonderful gems he had found himself drowning in but a few minutes ago, or was it hours? He couldn't remember. Time was inconsistent when with the one you loved. They weren't slanted as a cat's, and somehow Baron was glad they didn't change. He loved her eyes, her beautiful eyes…
Baron blinked when he realized that he had moved very close to Haru in his inspection of her, and that now their faces were inches away from one another. Baron smiled, rapidly closing the distance between them. He stopped an inch or so away from her face, forcing her to look at him in the eyes.
"You're cute when you blush, did anyone ever tell you that? He whispered as he leaned in for another kiss, effectively preventing Haru from replying. Not that she complained anyway.
Tbc…
Author's note: That. Chapter. Was. HARD. TO. WRITE. Woof! Well, sorry for the long wait guys, but I'm not a good fluff writer. Hope it was ok. Tell me what you think of it. Especially you Phantom Ange, since you requested it:) Which reminds me…Review responses time!
Phantom Ange: Hey there! Hope you liked the chappie! Anyway, I followed your suggestion of "Kanade" as a name for the healer. I really love that name. Thanks a lot! Oh, and Baron doesn't dislike you, he's just disturbed by the shirts. :smirk: I, on the other hand, love it.
EarthAngel: Lol. Here you go, one Muta Moshi, one:laughs: thanks a lot for the review, as always. Yeah, well, I deduced people would like to kill me when reading that bit :sweat drop: I was depressed when I wrote that bit, so it is a bit over-emotional and well, depressive. " But I don't want to see Baron die either, don't worry. That would be too sad, even for me.
michievious-lil-kitsune: Hey! Glad to see you again! Thanks for reviewing.
Yay! I've got new reviewers! Welcome Kat and Okashi-chan! Thanks a lot for R&R this humble story!
Kat: A new reviewer! Yay! Thanks a lot, I appreciate the comment. And Baron dead would make anyone cry I think. Heck, I almost cried when rereading the chapter, and I wrote it. Dang, I'm too sentimental…
Okashi-chan: :blush: thank you! Stupid environment…I know how you feel, mine just kind of knocks on my door when it's a critical moment. I swear he does that on purpose… :giggles: Yeah, I'm crazy, but that's no news I'm sure :wink: