Chapter Forty-Five
'Higashi,' Suzuno thought. She had yet to say it out loud, but she imagined it would roll off her tongue smoothly if she did so. It was an interesting and pretty name. "It's nice to meet you too."
"Yeah," Higashi replied, grinning widely. "Echi said he wanted me to meet you. It's a rare thing too, so I was real excited. It's not often he actually gets to know a person."
"Really?" Suzuno asked, a bit surprised. To her Amefuri was all-too-friendly with people, even if he had not the slightest clue who they were. But then again she imagined he was one to never really become especially close with people in mind. 'That would make sense.'
Higashi turned around, locking her fingers together and stretching her arms above her head, yawning loudly. As she did so she turned her head sideways to crack her neck, and Suzuno inwardly cringed a bit. That sound always made her feel a little disgusted.
"Well . . ." The older woman of the two had started, sitting back at the table and looking at the Priestess once again. Her face grew almost painfully serious, and her eyes looked liked she carried a heavy burden on her shoulders. "If there's anything I'd truly want to say to you, Suzuno . . . It's just . . . Take care of my son."
At those words Suzuno blushed deeply, more affected by her words with pride than embarrassment. Of all people in the world to entrust Amefuri with it was her Higashi had chosen. She felt so honored. Here she had barely known this woman and already she had gained her trust.
But at the same time she wasn't sure what to think of it. Amefuri was her friend; there wasn't a doubt in her mind about it. But to take care of him? How could she possibly do that? Inwardly Suzuno had hoped that Higashi had only meant to be there for him when he was upset or down. She smiled, agreeing with the thought. 'That's probably right. Besides, Amefuri doesn't see me as anything more than a friend too. It's mutual.'
Higashi took the liberty of Suzuno not sitting down and lied down on the long bench before the table, taking turn to stretch out her legs while she gazed up at the ceiling. Suzuno giggled; now she definitely knew this woman didn't care about what other people thought, with how awkward she looked doing that.
She didn't stop speaking and had moved on to a slightly different topic, one Suzuno wasn't expecting in the least. "Yeah, that boy needs someone to take care of him. I don't do a good job of it, in case you can't tell. If only his old man were around. Dumbass had to be a married customer."
"Oh . . ." Suzuno said, nodding. She wasn't sure what to say to that. She guessed even in these times there were men who cheated on their wives, betrayed them. A sudden thought came to mind that made her feel angry, but before it arose too much she blocked it out of her mind. She didn't even want to think about it. Not for a second. "Do you know who he is exactly?"
"Yup," Higashi replied plainly. That more than anything she had said before surprised Suzuno. She knew? "Echi doesn't have a clue though; he'd probably be fine with it, but too much time has passed. Besides, the guy is dead. No use bringing up someone he can't even meet."
'Well, that makes sense,' Suzuno thought. 'No wonder Amefuri acts like he doesn't know; he really doesn't. And I guess for good reason too . . .'
"Hey," Higashi called, sitting up again. Her legs were sprawled openly and her elbows rested on her knees, her shoulders slumped lazily. Suzuno came out of her thoughts and listened in case there was anything else important she had to say. "You wanna know who he is? His old man?"
"What!" Suzuno replied. She couldn't believe it; was Amefuri's mother trusting her that much? She . . . she would be given something that Amefuri had not a single clue of. Did she deserve it? Was it really necessary? She looked to Higashi cautiously, almost as if she was trying to figure out if there was a motive. There didn't seem to be any need for a motive, but at the same time . . . 'Why?'
Higashi stood up before Suzuno could decide on what she wanted and cupped her mouth in her hands, looking around cautiously in the room. She was acting as if her son would pop out from nowhere any minute, but when she found the coast was clear, she came especially close to Suzuno's ear and whispered.
Toroki slowly opened his eyes as he rustled in the bed he was sleeping in. He looked up to see a clear white ceiling, and instead of getting up and readying himself for the day he shut his eyes even tighter and threw a pillow over his head. At first it seemed like it would work, but the air he was breathing became too hot for his pleasure. He sat up unwillingly, rubbing his green eyes and puffing out his cheeks.
"I hate mornings," he muttered in a baby-ish voice to no one in particular. "I always feel so tired."
From above the covers that her over his legs Toroki felt a small pressure and looked to the end of the bed where Aoi-Yuki lay. He was curled up in a small ball, resting, but the moment the young boy moved on all fours to crawl across the bed he seemed disturbed; however, the little tiger didn't seem the least bit angry from his intrusion of sleep. The moment Toroki's cheeks buried nuzzled his face he purred, licking Toroki's forehead gingerly.
"Good morning, Byakko!" he said, already feeling wide awake as he gave Aoi-Yuki a tight squeeze around the tummy. He acted as if the tiger had never been missing in the first place, like nothing happened. "Know what today is? We're finally going home!"
It was for the first time in over a month that Subaru had felt the nostalgic warmth of Lanva's heartbeat. When she lived here before she normally would sleep in another room just to keep his perverted hands off of her, but the day that Suzuno came was the first time she had lied next to him. She was so relieved to be lying against his tangibly smooth skin again.
But unlike last time, this time was different. That first time her nightgown protected herself from him, made her unable to feel him. This night was different; her light skin was pressed against him, rising every time he took in a breath and falling with him. Subaru giggled to herself as she leaned in even closer to his bare chest, letting his arms unconsciously wrap around her body.
'This. . .' she thought, unable to resist a wide smile, 'It's so good I can barely stand it! Who says being a married woman first is important? We'll have a wedding someday anyway. Close enough.'
Subaru felt a low grumble in his chest and she felt Lanva pull her in tighter. At that moment she knew he was awake, but she didn't push him away for being so affectionate. She knew now that he wasn't playing with her anymore like it always seemed he was doing; he was real. "Morning . . . You awake?"
"Very," she replied, leaning away from his chest for a moment only to smile back. His eyes were still a little closed, trying to adjust to the light in the room for morning. She once again leaned forward only a bit to give him a small kiss on the lips, which he had returned sweetly. With that she stood up, pulling the covers with her to cover her body. Almost; as she stood she felt a tug. "Hey, let me have them!"
"What?" Lanva said in a complaining tone. His lower half was still concealed under the covers, but barely. "You're not the only one naked; besides, we've seen each other now. It's not that big of a deal."
Subaru frowned at his words, though she knew he was just being him. "Well, it's different right now. Last night was something special; I loved it. But now it's morning, and I still have to show some modesty."
"Aw, come on!"
The two tugged back and forth almost childishly as they battled for the blanket, until Suzuno mischievously chuckled and let go of the covers all together, making Lanva fall off of the bed and onto the other side. Her giggles turned into full-out laughter. "Okay, you win!"
"Women are so brutal," he muttered as he got himself back up on the bed.
By that time Subaru was already beginning to dress in new clothing, putting on long golden pants that fluffed near the bottom and a dress shirt of the same color. Her chest peaked out only the slightest bit, but other than that she was quite modestly dressed. As she went into a small closet to try and find something extra to wear on top she spotted the gorgeous white dress Nashie had given to her.
"I love this!" Subaru said excitedly as she took the dress out, holding it in front of herself and showing it to Lanva. He was currently getting dressed as well, but he still looked over to see what she was so happy about. "I wish I could wear it . . ."
Lanva shrugged, not seeing any problem in particular. "If you want to wear it, then go ahead."
"But I don't want it to get dirty . . . It's from the Princess after all!"
With that Lanva grinned and jumped over the bed with ease, scooping his fiancé up in his arms. She squeaked a bit with surprise, still clinging to the dress so it wouldn't go on the floor, but she was still happy nonetheless. To her, this was incredibly romantic.
"If you don't want your dress to get dirty," he started, giving her a small peck on the cheek in between words, "Then I'll carry you wherever you go."
Lanva didn't bother to put her down, seeing the sweetly pleased expression on her face and he carried her out of the room and into the hallway. The two agreed with the others the night before to meet each other as soon as possible so they could go to Kutou, and with the time it took to get from their home to the Capital, they might as well start soon.
As they reached the door to the entrance of their home, pausing only a little only as they walked through the hall to the kitchen to exchange light kisses and giggles, Subaru reached for the door to open it. Instead of leaving right away they found Amefuri standing there. Lanva was completely fine with the sudden smirk on the younger man's face, but the female among the three blushed harshly and covered her face, still giggling a bit.
"Looks like the Mr. had a good time with the Mrs.," Amefuri said, calling them what he used to call them for old times sake. It was definitely nostalgic, but in a way with how their relationships had developed it was freshly new. They all could feel it was a nice combination to have, and Lanva stepped out of the way of the door to let Amefuri in, putting Subaru down in the process. "What did you guys do on your first night home?"
"We had-" Lanva began to say excitedly, but was cut off by Subaru clamping her hand over his mouth. Her face became even darker than before, but Amefuri decided not to rub it in; it was actually very cute to him, and he was sure Lanva felt the same with the way he laughed it off.
Subaru was still holding the white dress in her other hand, and before the two boys could say anything that would make the situation more embarrassing for her she dismissed herself, saying that she had to put it away. Before she left for her room they all agreed to leave once she was completely ready.
The table for the kitchen was right in front of the doorway, and Amefuri took it upon himself to find a seat there as he waited. Lanva simply leaned back again the wall, his arms behind his head and his eyes looking over to his friend.
"So," Lanva started, "Where are the others? Are they ready to go yet?"
"Suzuno's up," Amefuri replied, turning his body to see Lanva so he was sitting sideways in the chair. "Toroki was sleeping when I left, and I guess we'll all have to go get Tatara once Subaru is done with everything."
Lanva was very curious to see that the moment Amefuri mentioned Tatara's name, his face seemed to grow irritated, almost into a scowl. It was strange; to him, Amefuri was always someone who was calm about most people (With Jin-Shun as the exception). Of course he would state his opinions of people when necessary, but at the same time he was one to never be particularly bothered with anybody. What made this man different?
"I guess you really don't like him," Lanva said, grinning a bit. In truth, he still wasn't fond of the warrior either, but he had grown to feel something mutual, thanks to his fiancé's influence.
Amefuri sighed as he closed his eyes to collect his thoughts. "I don't know . . . it's not that I don't like him, it's just that . . . when I think of him becoming friends with Suzuno so fast, it . . . It just annoys me."
'Oh,' Lanva thought, completely understanding. This made his grin grow wider, though Amefuri failed to catch it. 'He may not get it, but it's pretty easy to see for everyone else!'
Subaru walked in the room, and the only difference in her look was that her hair was up behind her, a few wavy strands falling in her face. She smiled kindly at Amefuri and spoke as if she had heard their entire conversation.
"Don't assume things," she told him, looking directly at him. "The two are close, but that doesn't mean Suzuno doesn't care for you. Have some faith in her! And Tatara has no intentions of taking her away from you. He's a good man."
It was strong and firm, but not necessarily cold. It was more like advice coming from an older sister, something Amefuri wasn't used to in the least. At the same time however, all those words were filled with strong meaning and lessons to be learned from. Just that short bit made his mind feel clearer. He smiled back. "Thanks."
Lanva wrapped his arms around Subaru's neck from behind and also looked down at the youngest of the three, feeling sarcastic as usual. "I think he's secretly interested in Tatara."
"Or not." Standing up from his seat while laughing, Amefuri quickly denied and stood behind that fact when he pressed a finger to Lanva's nose, burning his skin lightly with an acid. It wasn't enough to hurt, just to tinge, but Lanva's overreaction made Subaru laugh.
The three agreed to go back to Suzuno before going to the Haunted Mountain, ready to leave their homes for a second time to continue their long journey.
X x x x
Ack! O.o Suzuno knows who Amefuri's dad is. OMGosh! Don't worry, the name will be said sooner or later, and by then it should be a big shocker! 'Cause . . . yeah! XD Higashi's funny, telling a person she barely knows. But I guess it's that instant trust thing, Yeay!
And Toroki is reunited with Byakko so easily . . . also yeay to that! And then we go to Subaru and Lanva, who are ultimately are most romantic couple in the story at the moment. They're both so lovey dovey and stuff (Definitely not like the beginning), it's so cute:D But even then, they're personalities haven't changed so much . . . have they? I wonder what you guys think!
This feels more like a set-up chapter to future events more than anything. I hope you all like it still!
Suzuno Oosugi- Yes, there were definitely be Tatara x Suzuno moments for sure! When they'll come . . . umm . . . we'll have to wait for that answer. XD lol! And Toroki will never truly grow up! –Sings- 'Cause he's a Toys R Us kid . . . XD
Queen of the Paperclips- Yeah! It's sort of strange, writing a story that justifices things normally people would find wrong, like prostitution . . . but it's also sort of nice! And I'm so happy with the positive feedback on Amefuri and Higashi. It makes me feel so proud!
RabidMantisGirl- OMGosh! XD lol! That just reminded me of this song that Brak from Adult Swim sang. It goes (Except it's strange to read without the music), "I'm a Cucumber, I'm a Cucumber, I'm a Cucumber, I'm a Cucumber, I'm a Cucumber, I'm a Cucumber, Please don't take me to the Pickle Farm! Yeah!" It's a funny song, and the whole time it has Piccolo from DBZ mouthing it . . . it's so great! If you give me a way to send it to you, I'd definitely show it. XD
Aiji Akagami- Thank you so much for all of this! So much reviewing . . . it's beautiful! T.T –Hugs- No worries, you missed nothing about Ame-chan's dad, 'cause it's all in this chapter! XD And yup, ultimately Suzuno will be with Tatara . . . poor Ame-chan! I'm still trying to figure his future out, but I definitely don't want him to be alone. Who knows what'll happen!
Yes! I've read everything up to Volume four which just came out, and it's so wonderful! My favorite character so far though, is, oddly enough, Shigi. XD I adore him, and I want to know what personal grudge he has on the Priestess! His hate seems so go beyond his duty, you know? Personally, I think he might actually be a warrior like how Uruki was. That'd be so awsome! I'd freak out. XD Or maybe Bagass is one too! Bwaha . . . I'm so glad the first manga volume is out in the US finally. XD
Hmmm . . will anyone die? That's a good question. I'm not gonna say if someone will died or not, current character or future characters, but it would be a sad thing if they did. T.T And, of course, I agree with you about sexay villians! It's what makes being evil so appealing. Lol!
Kaeru Soyokaze- Yes . . . T.T Poor Ame-chan! Hopefully it won't be too difficult for him . . . Where did all of my planning for this story go? Every time I think of something it goes away! Who knows how that scene, whenever it comes, will turn out . . . And I'm happy you like Higashi! She's a powerful rolemodel in Ame-chan's life, even if she doesn't have a huge role overall in the story.
YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko- Yeah, I'm amazed myself how long this story has kept up:D It makes me incredibly happy knowing that this is all my creation . . . and people are enjoying it! I've currently got up to chapter 50 written, so I better get in gear and make sure I'm even further ahead! I don't ever want to be behind on this story . . . XD
quillian91- -Hugs- Thanks so much! And no worries at all. :D I always get wrapped up in my writing as well, so I know how you feel! Writing is such a fun and amazing thing to do . . . yes!