Title: Life After
Author: Inspired Seeker
Rating: PG-13
Number of Words: 1, 648
"This" Denotes speech while
"This" Denotes thought
Chapter 2
Kei shifted under the covers as he was slowly being pulled away from sleep. He clenched the covers for a second before his hand slid up the futon, as if searching for someone. His eyes opened, as he didn't find her, looking around the room for her.
"Mizuho?" He called out softly, a slight frown marring his features. His frown was immediately replaced with a smile when he heard the sounds of cooking and the smell of breakfast wafting into their room.
Kei slowly walked towards the kitchen, hoping to find Mizuho there. Indeed, she was there, cooking breakfast and humming at the same time. She was wearing white panties, an apron – and nothing else.
The realization hit Kei like a ton of bricks. He rubbed his eyes to see if what he saw was only his imagination. Sure enough, it wasn't. He just stood there, gawking at her.
"Like what you see, Kei-chan?"
The young Kusanagi was shaken from his thoughts when he heard her voice. It wasn't the usual cheerful voice she had.
Her voice was much sexier…
… Much more seductive
And much more alluring.
He almost passed out if not for Mizuho wrapping her arms around him. She whispered seductively into his ear.
"Do you remember anything from last night?"
"No… I'm pretty sure I don't." A mischievous smile spread across his face. "Care to remind me?"
Instead of answering, Mizuho placed her lips on his, joining them in a forceful kiss. Kei was going to answer her back with a more forceful one when…
"Mr. Kusanagi, please refrain from daydreaming in class. The next time you do, you'll be spending the rest of the period in the hallway. Is that understood?"
Kei cringed at that. "Yes ma'am. It won't happen again."
Mizuho, instead of extending her verbal tirade, opted to give him a small smile before returning to her lesson. Kei was obviously surprised by this, but he concealed it very well. It would be pretty embarrassing if his classmates found about his relationship with his teacher just because he couldn't conceal emotions very well.
His thoughts turned back once again to the daydreams he'd been having.
"Another one? This is the fourth time this week. My dreams already feel real… almost too real."
"They also keep getting better and sexier." His mind added. Kei turned red at that afterthought.
Mizuho Kazami was having a good day. Her students were active, her classes were far from dull and Kei had just proposed to her. Sure, it had already been two day since his proposal, but it reminded her of how far they have reached as a couple.
"Mizuho, you look flushed. Are you alright?"
Mizuho looked surprised for a moment before turning to her co-worker. Apparently, she has been thinking about Kei again and was blushing pretty badly. Her co-teacher thought that she was sick or something.
"Yes, I'm fine." "Absolutely fine!"
"Can I ask you something?" Her co-teacher asked, with a hint of mischief in her voice. Mizuho gulped involuntarily, already anticipating what the question was.
"Shoot."
"Is that an engagement ring you are wearing?" Mizuho resisted the urge to smack herself. She had forgotten to take the ring off!
She better find a nice, convenient excuse to bail out of the faculty room before her colleague continues with her line of questioning.
It was almost seven in the evening when Mizuho got home from work. She had to dodge off the barrage of questions her co-teachers badgered her about. It took her a while before she managed to fend them off.
Feeling exhausted all over, she was about ready to collapse into the futon when she saw Kei cooking dinner. She silently went up behind him before she embraced him. The young Kusanagi placed the ladle down and placed his arms over hers.
"Ma'am, I think you should take a shower and get dressed." Kei said teasingly.
The young Kazami blinked at that, but decided that she liked the new Kei better. With that in mind, she decided to play along.
"Oh, what for? I like it the way it is…" His fiancée said alluringly, teasing him with her hot breath against his ear. Kei tensed slightly, feeling desire washing over him. However, he decided to press on.
"I invited Uncle Minoru and Aunt Konoha over here. I've decided that this is the perfect time to break the 'big news' to them."
Purple eyes suddenly widened at that. "What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I like the way you look when you're surprised." Mizuho bopped him in the head for that. After giving him a glare, she headed for the shower, all the while grumbling about 'Stupid Kei' and his 'idiocy'.
Kei, feeling very pleased with himself, turned back to his cooking.
"Hey, this tastes good. What did you do with it?" Minoru asked offhandedly as he took a sip of the Miso soup.
"Oh, I just added some broth cubes in there. I'm glad you liked it" said Kei good-naturedly.
"I didn't know you cook, Kei. You never cooked for us at home." Konoha added with a hint of mischief.
"Well, living with a woman of many talents sure does have its perks." Kei said suavely. Mizuho turned red at the compliment. Seeing this, Kei intertwined his finger with hers. They shared a knowing look before nodding. The young Kusanagi's foster parents could only stare at this.
"Uncle Minoru, Aunt Konoha, we have something to tell you…" Kei began, tightening his grip on Mizuho's hand. She squeezed his in return, as if to reassure him.
"Well, I figured you had something in your mind kid. You don't usually ask us to come over here." Minoru said in a matter-of-fact tone. The he smiled. "Well, what do you have on your mind, kid?"
"We want to get married."
Silence pervaded in the Kazami-Kusanagi household as the Edajima couple just sat there with shell-shocked expressions on their faces. Indeed, they were shocked when their nephew requested that he move in to his teacher's place, but nothing of this magnitude!
"What? I thought-" Then it clicked. The Edajima couple remembered the smiles the young couple shared, the looks they gave one another when the other was not looking…
"Why haven't we seen this coming?"
A couple of minutes have passed and the Edajimas just sat there, seemingly entranced in a catatonic fit. The young couple started to worry for their sanity when at long last, Minoru began to speak.
"W-when – h-how – w-why?" Minoru asked with his eyes as wide as saucers. The young couple just chuckled nervously.
"I think its obvious why…" Kei said with a smile, looking at Mizuho again. "As for how, well, I proposed to her." To prove his point, the young couple showed their intertwined hands, the garnet glinting slightly.
The Edajimas digested the new information as Mizuho and Kei anxiously awaited their answer. At last, both foster parents have regained their composure.
"Well, since the two of you seems to be happy about it, we give you our blessings." Konoha said, while sipping some tea.
"Wha-?" Minoru tried to interject but was stopped by his wife with a not-so-subtle glare. The man's shoulders just slumped.
"Sorry dear." Minoru looked like a whipped dog right now.
The young couple just giggled at their banter.
Kei was humming a tune while he was helping Mizuho wash the dishes. The latter couldn't help but be intrigued by the latter's sudden change of demeanor.
"What are you so happy about?"
"Well," Kei placed down the dishes he was washing and held his fiancée tight. "I'm happy that things turned out the way they are. Sure, we may not be married yet, but we're getting there." His significant other was obviously pleased his words.
"I guess your right. But there's one thing that's bothering me…"
"What is it?"
"How do we tell mother and Maho about our plan to be married?" Kei suddenly grew concerned. He knew that despite the odd relationship Mizuho had with her sibling and mother, she was very close to them. And now that the federation may be on their backs…
"Don't worry; we'll let them know… somehow." Kei said, trying to reassure Mizuho as he looked into her eyes. The latter just nodded.
"Well, we bette-" Kei was about to suggest that they finish their chores when Mizuho silenced him with a kiss.
"I have better plans for us this evening." Mizuho said seductively as she pulled Kei into the room they shared.
Both had big smiles on their faces.
Author's note: At long last, this chapter is finished! It may not be that long, but it seems that it's pretty challenging to write when you are given free rein over a certain storyline. Anyways, if the characters may seem out-of-character sometimes, it was done on purpose. Theoretically, they will become a lot closer and a lot more expressive in their feelings after the series. Who wouldn't be if you regained someone you thought you had lost?
Anyways, I would like to thanks these people for giving their input on the previous chapter!
Ominae – Thanks! But I have decided that they will make an appearance once our favorite couple gets married (again). And let's not forget about the OVA!
Hobie – Thank you! I just have one request/question though. Does the novel provide any information about the Galaxy Federation? If yes, can you give me some important tidbits about them?
Unlucky4leafclover – Thanks!
P.S. I apologize to the community because I cannot really conform to the policy regarding no "review replies" in the story because:
1. It is too much of a hassle and
2. Most reviewers do not provide their e-mails…
I sincerely hope you would understand.