"Young Master!" A frog servant ran up to them once they reached the entrance to Aburaya bathhouse
"What do you want?" Haku's normally warm tone Chihiro was used to grew cold.
Chihiro stood behind Haku hoping the frog servant wouldn't notice her right away. Chihiro remembered how unwelcome a human was the last time she was here.
"Phew forgive me but you smell horrible." The frog servant covered it's nose becoming distracted "Why are you wearing such strange clothing?"
"I was in the human world almost a whole day." Haku seemed to growl at the frog servant "I need to bathe but first I need to eat and so does my guest."
"Your guest?" The frog servant asks looking behind Haku to see Chihiro "A human!"
"Shut up." Haku snaps at the frog servant almost as if warning them that he'd do something worse than have them just shut up "She is my guest and will be treated with the upmost respect, understood."
"Yes master Haku." The frog servant bowed
"Get my living quarters ready and I expect some food to be brought up immediately." Haku ordered
"Anything you wish Master Haku." The frog servant nods
"Come Chihiro let's get you something to eat ok." Haku still held onto her hand and lead her inside the Aburaya bathhouse
Chihiro looks around as much as she was able while Haku lead her to the elevator.
The atmosphere in the Aburaya bathhouse hadn't changed a day since she left.
"This damn thing is always so slow." Haku complained as they waited for the elevator to come down. Chihiro didn't mind waiting she finally felt like she was finally home.
"Sen!" A fimilar voice called
Chihiro looks over to see her friend Lin from the first time she came to the Aburaya bathhouse.
She was a little older looking and was in a beautiful purple and blue kimono dress.
"Look at you all grown up and gorgeous." Lin gushes walking up to her
"Oh hi Lin." Chihiro smiles "Remember my true name is Chihiro." She says
"Oh duh that's right." Lin laughs "What are you doing here?"
"Haku brought me here." Chihiro looks up at Haku who had an exasperated look on his face
"Haku?" Lin looks at Haku "Chihiro's who you choose hmmm?" Lin smirks at Haku
"Lin." Haku grumbles
"Huh?" Chihiro asks
"Don't stress your pretty head, I've got a ton of work to do." Lin says "Master Haku made me the operations manager of this place so I'm busy busy we'll catch up later yeah?" Lin pats Chihiro's shoulder before getting back to work
"What was that about?" Chihiro asks
"Just Lin being Lin." Haku rolls his eyes "Come on I need to get you fed." Haku must have given up on the elevator and went right for the stairs.
Chihiro instantly remembered this was the way to Yubaba's quarters.
" These are your living quarters now?" Chihiro asks
"Yes Yubaba left it all to me." Haku tells her
" Wow it hasn't changed." Chihiro smiles, the entrance to Yubaba's quarters were always extravagant. "I'm surprised you didn't redecorate it doesn't really seem like your style." Chihiro says
" Chihiro I've worn the same kind of kimono since I was 12 I don't have what you would call style." Haku smiles
"True." Chihiro snickers
"Oh haha." Haku rolls his eyes
"Welcome home Haku." The door knocker greeted Haku as it opened the door
Haku ignored the door knocker and lead Chihiro inside, to her surprise there was a table set up in the front room as you walked in with all kinds of good looking food from cheese tortellini, chicken kabobs, shrimp scampi etc.
" Oh wow." Chihiro felt her stomach growl
"Enjoy." Haku said softly into Chihiro's ear "I'm going to freshen up.'
" You're not going to eat?" Chihiro asks
" I will." He nods letting go of her hand and walks away to the bathroom most likely
Chihiro's attention went to the food on the table she hadn't realized how hungry she was, granted Chihiro hadn't eaten since the cookies this afternoon so everything on the table looked amazing.
Chihiro sat at the closest chair to her and started to fill up her plate, Chihiro was hoping she would be almost done chowing down before Haku returned.
But as soon as Chihiro took a large bite of the juciest pork chop she'd ever had Haku came walking out wearing a crisp white kimono.
" It's good isn't it?" Haku smirks
Chihiro nodded as she chewed, she chewed and swallowed before answering.
" Oh yes this is amazing." Chihiro smiles before a burp escaped her mouth.
"Sorry." She blushes
" No no I'll give your compliments to the chef." Haku winks sitting down across from her
" I'm going to regret it later but I don't remember the last time I ate this much." Chihiro says wiping her mouth with a napkin
" Eat as much as you like." Haku says putting some yakisoba noodles on his plate " It's all for you."
" For me?" She blinks " I can't possibly eat this all." Chihiro looks over the table despite how much she already ate she barely made a dent
"That's okay." Haku tells her "I arranged for a bath to be drawn for you."
" Oh ok." Chihiro nods " It's because humans are smelly right?" Chihiro jokes
" Heh well yes." Haku smirks "I like how you smell but it'll make it more bearable for you to live in the spirit world." He says
"You like how I smell?" Chihiro swallows
"I'm sorry did I say that." Haku kept his eyes on his noodles
" Haku I..."
" Master Haku!" A female frog servant runs in interrupting their conversation
" What is it?" He doesn't bother looking up "Chihiro pass the gyoza please." Haku holds out a hand
" Yeah of course." Chihiro passes him the warm plate full of plump gyoza
" There are customers complaining about a terrible smell and are threatening to leave." The female frog servant tells him her eyes darting at Chihiro as she said it
" They're welcome to go wherever they please, tell them good luck finding another place like Aburaya bathhouse." Haku tells the servant
"Well said master Haku." The female frog servant bowed before leaving the room.
Once the door was closed Haku let out a deep sigh.
" Annoying."
" I'm sorry." Chihiro says
" Chihiro don't apologize this is going to be your home now." Haku smiles at her
" Yeah."
" Everyone is going to have to get used to it." Haku says before taking a bite of his noodles
They sat silently for about five minutes as Haku enjoyed his meal, Chihiro watched him eat. He was eating quickly but elegantly at the same time.
" Haku I want to date you." Chihiro blurts courage taking over her body for a spilt second
" Date?" Haku raises an eyebrow, it never occurred to Chihiro that the customs in the spirit world were different than the human world.
" Oh gosh I have feelings for you and I just want to be on the same page because I've never felt this way before." Chihiro explains looking down
" Oh?" He swallowed "Where did this come from?"
" I don't want to dance around it anymore." Chihiro clenched her fists under the table
"Chihiro." Haku says "Look at me please."
She looks up to see Haku looking back at her.
" There's no one I'd rather be with." Haku beams at her
" Oh geez." Chihiro felt herself starting to cry again " I thought so but didn't want to assume."
" How could you not know?" Haku chuckles
" I don't know." She shivers
" Come here." Haku sets down his fork and opens his arms Chihiro didn't hesitate and went to him.
"Oh Haku I'm sorry I know I said I didn't want to rush anything but I felt like I was going to burst." Chihiro clinged to him
" You're okay." Haku kisses the top of her head "We'll take it one day at a time."
" Good idea." Chihiro says
" Chihiro why don't you go take a nice hot bath, it'll relax you." Haku says
" You're right." She nods
" Your room is just down that hall, it's the first one on the right." Haku points down the hall " I'll be out here when you're done."
" Haku I didn't bring any clothes." Chihiro mentions sitting up
" It's okay I'll have some brought up for you." Haku holds her cheek " I'm going to take care of you so you have no worries."
