Marry Me Motoko
Kitsune couldn't remember the last time she'd needed a beer this much.
Sure, life at Hinata was usually casual, so she didn't really need the beer so much as want it. But just today, she'd taken a plane to some island she'd never heard of before, been thrown into an airship's prison, thrown out of the airship by her girlfriend, and flown halfway across the island to a giant desert, heading toward some ancient place that Seta and Keitaro just couldn't get enough of.
Yeah. Today was definitely one of those 'need a beer' days.
And the fact that Motoko was practically hanging on Seta's every word didn't help. Sure, Kitsune knew that Motoko had a lot of respect for the man; he was the only guy who'd ever bested her in a fight. Okay, except for that time when she'd challenged Keitaro, but according to Motoko, she'd been sick so that didn't count. But it was kind of frustrating to see her acting like she was at some lecture.
". . . the city of Todai was the heart of the great turtle civilization that spanned the Pacific Ocean," Seta was saying. Kitsune glanced over at Naru, who looked just as annoyed at Keitaro's enthusiasm. "It was a glorious utopia, almost five times the size of Pararakelse and blessed with all of nature's beauty. There was no strife in this paradise . . . only man and turtlekind living and loving peacefully together."
Kitsune had to laugh at that. The thought of a turtle civilization still seemed kinda silly to her . . . though it was too bad that Mutsumi wasn't here. She would probably freak out at the thought of an entire country that loved turtles.
Hmm.
Kitsune glanced over at Motoko, who looked a little uneasy. Some things never changed, and it looked like her kendo girl was still afraid of turtles. Kitsune held back a chuckle and walked to Motoko's side, brushing back the white cloth headgear they all wore so she could see her girlfriend's face.
Motoko gave her a curious look. "Are you all right, Kitsune?"
"I kinda miss the hot springs and I could really use a beer, but yeah, I'm okay," Kitsune said, managing a smile. "You okay about the turtle thing?"
There it was. Just a little bit of a shudder. Kitsune put her arm around Motoko's waist, and felt her lover tense for a moment, then relax.
"It's just a ruin," Motoko said, her voice firm and strong. "I can deal with stone turtles, there were enough of them at Pararakelse."
"Yeah, but there aren't enough leaves here for a bikini," Kitsune said. She smirked at Motoko's glare, then leaned her head on her shoulder and grinned.
A moment later, Seta finally said something interesting. "As legend has it, all that was needed for peace or even everlasting love was for two species or lovers to make a pilgrimage to this religious mecca together."
Kitsune raised her head, and saw a look on Motoko's face she couldn't even begin to figure out. She didn't look scared, she didn't look worried, just. . . . Kitsune nudged her, and Motoko looked down at her, though it took a moment.
"Yes?" Motoko asked.
"What'cha thinking?" Kitsune asked. "Looks like we finally get our vacation out of this. Beats being trapped in that airship, eh?"
"Almost anything would," Motoko said evenly.
Kitsune paused, and a moment later, asked, "You thought of anything for how we're gonna keep Kanako away from Keitaro?"
"It seems we've already done that," Motoko said, looking ahead to where the others were walking, Sarah running a little to keep up with Seta. "He's here with us, the others are nowhere nearby. There shouldn't be any problems." She glanced down at Kitsune. "Not with them, at least. What about you?"
"I dunno," Kitsune said. "Something just seems weird." She separated from Motoko, and gestured vaguely. "I mean, we're in the middle of nowhere, again, seems like we're gonna do this every year."
Motoko gave her a small smile. "I'm not running away if I fail to get into Tokyo U again," she said. "Pararakelse was nice, but once is enough."
"Yeah, no kidding," Kitsune said, grinning for a moment. "But seriously. It just feels like something's missing, y'know? It's great to be here, especially with you," she said, nudging Motoko again, "but it's like. . . ." She trailed off, and shrugged.
"I think I know what you mean," Motoko said. "I felt much the same one of the times I left Hinata, when I went off to practice by myself. There was something missing from my training, something I couldn't find at Hinata."
Kitsune raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Didn't Keitaro go after you, with Su and Sarah?"
"Yes. But they helped me realize what I was missing." She reached out and took Kitsune's hand, despite the desert heat. "And a few weeks later, you helped me realize even more."
Kitsune felt herself blush, then laughed. "Wow, this place really does make you get all romantic and--"
"Hey! What's that over there?" Keitaro yelled from up ahead. Kitsune looked up, past Naru and Haruka, to where Keitaro was pointing. There was something in the desert, something rising from the sands.
"Oh, man! That's it!" Seta cried. "Those are the Todai ruins!"
Keitaro and Seta took off running, Sarah chasing after them. Kitsune blinked, then looked back to Motoko. They both shrugged, and walked after Naru and Haruka, heading toward the ruins. This trip kept getting stranger and stranger; walking into some ruins in the middle of the desert sounded almost normal by now.
When they reached the ruins, Seta and Keitaro were struggling with the giant stone door, with Sarah cheering them on. "Okay, on three!" Seta said. "One . . . two . . . ughh!"
"Wish you had your sword?" Kitsune asked, leaning close to Motoko. The other girl didn't answer, but Kitsune felt her tense.
The ancient doors creaked open. Kitsune braced herself, squeezing Motoko's arm. This had to be good. After everything that had happened, this couldn't be-
"Hello there, travelers! And welcome to the Todai ruins!"
Kitsune's jaw dropped. The place was filled with people, and cheesy decorations at the entry proclaimed the Todai ruins a honeymoon capital. Kitsune blinked a few times, hardly able to believe it, then looked over at Motoko, who seemed just as shocked. She poked Motoko, trying to wake her up, and the two of them followed the others inside.
She half-listened as Seta and Keitaro talked about what the ruins had become, how tourists started flocking here 'cause of that legend about making their love last forever. Kitsune sighed, then shook her head when she saw Naru gushing over catching the bouquet at a nearby wedding. All that trouble, all that walking through the desert, for this?
Then again, maybe she could get a beer around here somewhere. . . .
Kitsune started looking around, trying to see if she could find anything that looked like a bar. After spotting three likely places, she looked back to Motoko, who was waiting just behind her. Everyone else was gone.
Kitsune blinked. "Where'd they go?"
"One way or another," Motoko said. "Urashima ran off, Naru went somewhere with Seta, and I think I saw Haruka wander off that way." She pointed down a row of shops, mostly clothing. "It's like we're not even here."
Kitsune considered this for a moment. "Yeah, it's like that with them sometimes." She grinned, then slipped her arm around Motoko's waist, patting her ass along the way. "But that means we could slip off somewhere. . . ."
"And we wouldn't be missed," Motoko finished.
Kitsune blinked. "Where's Motoko and what have you done with her?"
Motoko gave her a confused look for a moment, then blushed. "I know," she said, smiling a little. "But it's . . . this place." She looked around, then back at Kitsune. "I don't know what it is, but it feels like everyone here's just thinking about being with someone, about loving someone." She put her hand over Kitsune's on her waist. "It's a welcome change."
"I knew coming here was a good idea," Kitsune said, her grin growing wide. "C'mon. Let's go find a bar, and then--" She broke off when Motoko shook her head. "No?"
"No." She raised her head, staring off into the distance, though Kitsune wasn't quite sure what she was looking at. There wasn't much distance around here. "I think I'd like to stay sober here; I don't want to miss how this place feels."
"Can you feel this place, and I go get a beer?" Kitsune asked, then winked when Motoko gave her an exasperated look. "Hey, it's been a while."
"At least a day," Motoko said dryly, though she did nod. She took Kitsune's hand from her waist, and held it before her. "Come and find me when you're done."
Kitsune started to protest. This was really weird. Normally Motoko would give her all kinds of shit about drinking when they were supposed to be together, stuff like that. And now she was letting her go? She was about to protest, or something like it, when Motoko leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Kitsune blinked, surprised, and Motoko was gone.
What had gotten into her? This whole trip, she'd been like that . . . ever since they'd gotten to Molmol. It was like coming back from Kyoto and then having Kanako around had turned her from a ronin into some kind of prince, what with the rescuing and the leaping out of an airship and the sudden romanticness. Sure, it wasn't bad. But it was weird.
Kitsune shrugged. She'd think about it over a few drinks; that usually got her an answer or two. And hey, it'd gotten her Motoko, way back when. She nodded to herself, and headed toward the closest building that looked like a bar.
Motoko sat at the edge of what seemed to be a dock and tried to think. It wasn't working very well.
There was something about this place, she couldn't deny that. It reminded her of the state of mind that she got into when she was focusing on her training, when she could do as her sister had taught her and feel 'now' and 'the flow.' Some of the places where she'd trained, the Gods' Cry School among them, had a feeling to them; you could almost sense the spirits of dozens of martial artists still lingering there, helping those who lived and trained there along their way. That was part of why the school produced such talented martial artists, Motoko was sure.
So was that what it was about this place? The spirits of dozens of couples, all here to make sure that everyone who came here ended up as happy lovers, or perhaps married. That would make sense, if Todai was supposed to be a honeymoon capital.
Motoko sighed, and looked out across the water. She'd been trying to get her thoughts clear on things with Kitsune, ever since they'd come back from Kyoto. She loved her, there was no doubt about that. But what did the future hold? To be sure, Motoko would get into Tokyo U; she no longer held any doubts about that. And she would continue with the sword, perhaps to someday inherit the Gods' Cry School.
But there was more to life than her studies and her sword; Motoko had to admit that to herself. She'd known it for some time, but to think it out loud, as it were, was unsettling. What was her future beyond those two?
Motoko heard cheering behind her, and looked over her shoulder to see a newly wedded couple surrounded by friends, flower petals filling the air around them. She watched, smiling, and for a moment saw herself in the groom's tuxedo.
She blinked, shook her head violently, and turned away. Either that was far too convenient, or the spirits of dozens of happy couples here were playing tricks on her. Motoko reached down to the water, and splashed a little on her face, then raised her eyes and looked to the setting sun. She wished she had her sword. Running through a few practice katas would calm her down and help her to think better.
Sword or not, it was a good idea. She stood, stretched, and tied her long hair back, then settled into a stance for unarmed combat. It wasn't the deck at Hinata, but it would do, and such things were best done by the setting sun, no matter where she was.
There was a familiarity to the motions, something calm and settling about them, and Motoko felt her mind beginning to ease. It only made sense for her to be feeling more strongly for Kitsune in a place like this. When surrounded by romance in its various forms, even the strongest minds would start to give. And, she had to admit to herself, it had been difficult to think of much else than her and Kitsune ever since what happened at Kyoto.
Motoko slid into a more advanced stance as she considered this. In all the time they'd been together, they'd never talked about their future. While it was true that she was only eighteen, it was never too early to plan. She would get into Tokyo U, but what then? It would work well to stay at Hinata House while she was in college, and she knew that she didn't want to move out. The place held too many memories, too many friends. Giving up her place there, giving up her room, would be giving up a part of herself.
And all of a sudden, the answer was there. There were larger rooms in Hinata . . . she and Kitsune could move into one, together.
Motoko slowed down as she went through the kata, considering what she'd just thought of. Aside from the obvious, little had changed between she and Kitsune since they'd come to love each other, little had happened. Perhaps there was the chance that things would grow dull if nothing changed . . . perhaps it was time to take another step.
She slowly started to smile. Maybe it was the effect of this place, or perhaps she was just coming to realize things she'd known for a long time. But it couldn't hurt to take things to another level between them, to move closer without giving up anything. If nothing else, the look on Kitsune's face when she suggested it would be priceless.
Motoko went through the final few movements of her kata, then stretched, the last of the day's light falling upon her. She would have to find Kitsune, wherever she'd gone, and tell her what she'd realized. It was a good plan, it was a sensible plan . . . it was a plan that could turn out very well, Motoko thought, feeling herself blush.
It was a plan that ran scared to the farthest recesses of her mind when she heard Kitsune giggle behind her.
Motoko spun around, suddenly wary. How long had Kitsune been watching her? Had she seen the blush on her face? And . . . judging by how red Kitsune's face was, how much had she had to drink?
"Hey. . . ." Kitsune slowly got to her feet, and staggered over to Motoko. She leaned against her, and Motoko could smell something alcoholic, though she couldn't quite place it. Whatever it was, Kitsune looked to have had a lot of it. "You look . . . you look really sexy when you're doing that, y'know?" Kitsune slurred.
"Kitsune," Motoko said, trying to keep her lover from falling over. "I don't--"
"Yes you do!" Kitsune leered at her, then suddenly started to look serious. "Hey. I got an idea. I think I got . . . what's been bothering me. About, about being here."
Motoko paused. "What do you mean?" she asked. She steadied herself, and put her arms around Kitsune, who had draped her own arms around Motoko's shoulders. Kitsune gave her a big silly smile, and Motoko couldn't help returning it, just a little. She took a deep breath and waited.
"Let's get married," Kitsune said all at once.
Motoko's knees went weak for a moment, and she was afraid she was going to fall. Then she was sure of it. She stumbled backwards and landed hard on the stone dock, Kitsune atop her. As she tried to catch her breath, Kitsune giggled again and leaned in closer.
"So that's a yes?" Kitsune said, and moved in to kiss her.
Motoko turned her head. She felt Kitsune's breath on her cheek, then it was gone. Motoko looked, and saw that Kitsune had leaned back, then rolled to one side and slid off of her. She got to her knees, and looked Kitsune in the eye. She swallowed hard. This wasn't going to be easy.
"So what's . . . what's that?" Kitsune asked, slurring less but clearly still more than a little drunk. "You don't wanna kiss me--"
"It's not that," Motoko said quickly, looking down at her hands, clenched in her lap. "I . . . I don't know what to say. I hadn't even thought about that." Sure, she'd been thinking of something a little like it, but not the same kind of commitment.
Kitsune tilted her head, giving Motoko a strange look. "You never even thought. . . ? Okay, neither did I," she said, then grinned. "But it's like you said, it's this place. It's everything here, y'know? Just seeing all this . . . this stuff, it made me think . . . yeah."
Motoko had to smile at that. Kitsune was never eloquent, especially when she'd been drinking. But she was sincere. She paused for a moment, collecting herself, then opened her arms, inviting Kitsune close. Her lover shuffled over, and curled up against her. Naturally, Kitsune rested her head on Motoko's breasts, but she was more than used to that by now. Motoko gently stroked her hand down Kitsune's hair, watching her.
"When did you realize this?" she asked quietly.
"Jus' . . . when I was at the bar," Kitsune murmured. "There was this couple there, celebrating their anniver'sry. They'd been together a year, got hitched here, came back here. Made me start thinking." She looked up at Motoko. "We been together longer than that. Why aren' we married?"
Motoko gave her a pained smile. "I don't think it's legal in Japan," she said quietly. It wasn't something she liked to think about; there shouldn't be laws like that.
"Don' matter," Kitsune said. "At least, I don' think so. Probably marry jus' about anyone here." She giggled. "Okay, almos' anyone."
"We wouldn't be married back home, not legally." Motoko knew it was a weak argument, but it was true all the same. She also knew why it wasn't important, and had a feeling Kitsune knew the same.
"So?" Kitsune raised one hand and stroked it down Motoko's cheek, tracing her fingertips over her skin. Motoko fought back a shiver. "We'd be married. You an' me. That's what matters."
"Don't you think we're too young for something like that?" Motoko asked, working to keep her voice calm. She was trying to get things straight in her head; asking questions was the best way to stall. She just hoped that Kitsune wouldn't think she was trying to talk her out of the idea.
"Don' matter," Kitsune said again. "People get married all the time, all ages and stuff. You saw Haruka an' . . . an' Seta. Who knows, they might get married sometime, and they're gettin' old."
Motoko paused. She hadn't thought of it that way. She looked up at the stars, remembering their first night, when everything had come out and Kitsune had confessed, somewhat, as only she could have. She'd ended up holding Kitsune in much the same way then as she was now.
"I had been thinking," Motoko said, hoping Kitsune would understand, "about us moving in together. There are larger rooms at Hinata, I think we could live comfortably together in one of them. I was going to find you and ask, when you arrived."
"You think my stuff would go good with your stuff?" Kitsune asked, looking a little puzzled. "That's nice. And yeah. It'd be . . . it'd be good to not have to keep runnin' back and forth. 'Cause sometime, someone's gonna catch you runnin' naked back to your room," she said, leering up at Motoko.
Motoko sighed, though she couldn't help smiling. "There is that," she said.
She leaned into Kitsune's hand against her face, and closed her eyes. She pictured what it would be like, a room that the two of them shared. It would be chaotic, that was to be sure, but there would be a kind of synergy about it, a way of everything that made them who they were working together despite the differences and clashes.
Motoko wondered for a moment just how things had come to be this way. When they'd first met, she'd wondered if any two people could possibly be more different. As she'd come to know Kitsune better, she'd seen more to her; the differences remained, but it had been easy for them to be friends. Growing closer, growing to love and be lovers, had both been sudden and seemed to take forever at the same time.
But there was a fulfilment that came with being with Kitsune, something she'd never been able to explain. And that, she supposed, was love. No. She didn't suppose. She knew.
Motoko put her hand over Kitsune's free hand, and held it tight. For a moment, she felt like she was back at Hinata, back on the deck, that night when they'd shared their first kiss. She'd wanted to be sure, to know that what she felt was real. In a way, some things hadn't changed.
"So," Kitsune said, her voice a little more clear, "you gonna give me an answer?" She was smiling, though.
Motoko squeezed Kitsune's hand. "Let me think about it for tonight, please? I want to be sure."
The next day's sunrise found them on the docks.
Kitsune leaned into Motoko, who was leaning against some kind of low pillar, and they both looked to the eastern sky as it began to lighten. As the sun reached the horizon, she shielded her eyes from the glare, then leaned her head back on Motoko's shoulder and looked up at her. "Think that's symbolic or something?" she asked.
"Perhaps," Motoko said. She yawned, and Kitsune nudged her. "I'm sorry," Motoko said. "But it's been a long night."
"Like it's the first time we kept each other up all night," Kitsune said, smirking. She watched her lover blush, and snuggled closer to her. "Gotta admit this was different, yeah?"
Motoko didn't say anything, just held her close. After a moment, she murmured, "Have you seen Haruka, or Seta?"
"Nope," Kitsune said. "Don't know where Naru and Keitaro went either." She chuckled. "Eh, they'll be all right."
"They should be," Motoko said. "I just hope things went well. I'd hate to think the reason we came along didn't work out because we weren't there."
"Hmm? I had a reason for coming here besides you?" Kitsune leaned up and kissed Motoko on her neck. "Oops. Guess I forgot." She felt the other girl shiver, and leaned back and reveled in it. Today had been one incredible day. Bizarre, yeah, but it'd be a long, long time before anything else compared.
They sat there for a long moment, saying nothing, just watching the sun rise. Eventually, Kitsune asked, "D'you think they'll come back for us?"
"They should," Motoko said. "If not, we'll find them."
"And surprise the hell out of them," Kitsune laughed. She put her hand over Motoko's, bringing together the matching gold rings they both wore. "So, about that whole honeymoon thing. . . ?"
"Kitsune. . . ."
Author's Note
Thus ends "strangelove."
Yes, this is really the end; I mean it this time. After "Ronin and Heart" and the flashback tale, I'd thought that there wasn't anything more I could do, but the thought of bringing the series to a close with the best possible ending for a romance story appealed to me. It took some time to figure out the right way to do it, thus the long break between chapters, but once I'd built up to it, I knew I had to get it done.
Thank you to everyone who's read this. This story started as two things - a chance for me to practice writing a relationship between two women for the novel I was working on at the time (it's since been scrapped), and as a dare. Okay, it was much more the latter. But still. I'm glad that y'all have enjoyed it, glad to have contributed my own little bit to Love Hina fandom, and I hope you're happy with the ending. I know I am, and I'm glad to leave Kitsune and Motoko at such a great point.
This is Moose, signing off of "strangelove."