Cutter was drenched in sweat as he tossed in his sleep, his pillow now soaked.
"ENOUGH!"
He sat up in bed gasping for air as he reached for a cigarette from his bedside table. He shook as he lit it, inhaling desperately for relief. Night terrors were a common occurrence for Cutter. He had first started having them when he was a child; after having murdered several children in illegal underground fights. They became progressively worse as he got older. As the sins he had to commit stained his hands an even deeper crimson...
He put out his cigarette as he stepped out onto the balcony connected to his room in the castle. The General breathed in the night air, his shaking stopping as he gazed upon the moon. He hadn't had a night terror in several weeks. Not since he had been spending every night in his chair by Kate's side.
At first; he hadn't intended to fall asleep while with Kate. Exhaustion took over that first night, and he remembered how surprised he was waking up without needing a cigarette, or a shower right away. Curiosity is what made him continue falling asleep there. She seemed to be the cure to his sleep deprivation.
Was it the need to protect her that helped him overcome his terrors? Or was it the need to be with her?
She was the only person close to him in his life who wasn't related to any mission, or assignment. Although, he couldn't help but feel that Kate would play a significant role in his life one day...
He smiled sadly at the moon, the tattoo on his back of a red circle with 3 arrows across the top and one on the bottom shining under its light.
-.-.-.-.-
The house welcomed Kaku and Kate with a gentle creak.
Kaku nervously closed the door behind him, as he panicked to find a light switch. "Ah gee. Sorry, Kate. I'm still memorizing the place myself." He laughed nervously as he ran his hand along the walls. "Ah there ya are!"
With the flip of a switch- Kate was in a whole new world.
The front door entered into a small receiving area with a shoe rack and several coat hooks on the wall. It then opened up into the kitchen with the sink and other utilities to the left, while the dining table was closer to the main entrance. The dining table was rectangular and wooden with 5 chairs and a simple white table runner.
Further to the right was a living room area. A large stone fire place sat in the middle with a dark brown leather couch in front of it. From the couch, if one looked to the right- they would be able to see out the window at the forest.
Kate looked around in awe. It felt so cozy, and as the name of the island suggested- straight out of a fairytale. Kate had loved the idea of living in a cottage, never being one who sought after large mansions or manors.
Behind the dining table was a staircase that lead upstairs. Kaku pointed towards them as he looked at Kate. "Would you like to see the rest?"
She nodded and followed him up the stairs.
The upstairs had 3 bedrooms and a washroom.
One of the bedrooms had a double sized bed with a simple dark wooden bed frame, and a white bedding set with purple flower designs. On either side of the bed were matching bedside tables. Kaku held a hand out towards the room. "I was thinking we could use this room for any guests we had over."
He pointed at the door on the end of the hall. "This is the master bedroom!"
The bedroom had a king sized bed placed between two small square windows. The bed frame was made of mahogany, and the head board was high and had lighter brown padding in the middle. To the right was a wide window that looked into the forest. The bedside tables were also made of mahogany and had simple round lamps on each side.
The bedding was beige colored with 2 square decorative pillows. One pink, and one orange.
There were two large mahogany wardrobes side by side in front of the bed. To the left side of the bed was an ensuite bathroom, which had a standard white sink, toilet, and bathtub.
Kate opened one of the wardrobes, gasping when she found her clothes inside. "You moved all my stuff?! Thank you." She blushed, noticing a drawer full of her underwear and bras.
Ahhhhh that's so embarrassing!
Kaku clenched his jaw as he noticed Kate looking at the drawer of underwear and bras.
Oh geeze. I bet she thinks I'm a pervert!
Kate shot up when she came to a realization. "Um...Are we...sharing the room?" She knew what the answer probably was, but she wanted to make sure.
The square nosed man turned a bright red.
Darn. I thought the pillows would have made it obvious so I wouldn't have to say it...
He laughed nervously. "I figured it'd be best, due to our cover up and all...just in case someone came over, ya know?" He removed his suit jacket, hanging it over a laundry basket by the washroom. "If that's okay with you? Don't fret! I've got an extra pillow for our divider!" He pointed at a bump against the headboard.
Kate nodded. "I think that's a good idea." She cleared her throat. "Are you okay if I grab a glass of water?" The situation felt awkward, and it was the only excuse she could think of to have a moment to process everything that was happening.
Kaku hit his head. "Of course!" Let me show you where everything is." He lead her out of the room, but stopped as Kate stopped in front of the third bedroom.
She pointed toward it. "What's this room?" She went to turn the door knob but was stopped by Kaku.
He began to sweat, even more red than earlier. "Well, I'm still workin' on that one, you see. I'd like to show it to ya once I'm finished." He prayed she wouldn't press further.
Kate jumped up. "Wait, you still haven't told me where or how you got this place?!" She tilted her head for an answer.
Kaku hit his palm against his head. "Right. It slipped my mind! A customer came in telling me about an abandoned cottage he had been trying to sell for a while with no luck. It was a bit of a fixer upper so it was a real good price, and when it comes to any projects with wood-I'm your man!" He laughed. "It only cost a bit more than what renting our spot at the Inn would cost over time. Besides-I needed something to keep me busy while you were away...I hope you're okay with it?" He felt his heart race-scared of what her answer would be.
She laughed. "I'm more than okay with it! It's amazing! I just know I'm going to be sad when we go back to Water 7...but it'll be good to see everyone again soon!" She continued to laugh as she made her way down the stairs.
Kaku stood there dumbfounded.
"When we go back to Water 7"
Once again; all his plans were thwarted. He was going to tell her tomorrow about how he felt, his plan, and his promise to her... However, he once again began to debate whether it would be the right plan after all.
What do I do...
"Kaku!" Kate called from down the stairs. "Which cups did you want to use for water?"
He took a deep breath before putting on a smile and heading down the stairs
Maybe I'll think about it a little bit longer...
-.-.-.-.-
Kate laid down happily, closing her eyes as she appreciated the sound of Kaku climbing into bed that she had missed.
The wind howled as the shaking of trees made a sound that echoed against the windows. Kate hated to admit it- but the unfamiliar noises in a new place frightened her.
Maybe there was another reason why the man couldn't sell this place?!
She felt a shiver go down her spine as her imagination began to run wild.
"Kaku?" She leaned her head against the pillow that separated them, closing her eyes as she tried to drown out her fears.
He was snuggled up against the pillow. "Yes?" He detected the unusual falter in her voice. "Everything okay?"
The wind blew harder as the noises grew louder, causing Kate to flinch.
She bit her lip. "I'm kind of...scared." She knew how childish she sounded, but she didn't want this fear to damper their wonderful reunion. She thought that maybe he could say something that would make her feel better.
Kaku reached from under the pillow that separated them and held her hand. "I'm right here. I'll protect you from anything." He squeezed her hand 3 times.
Kate snuggled into the pillow as she squeezed Kaku's hand. "Thank you, Kaku. Goodnight."
He squeezed her hand. "Goodnight, Kate."
Kaku laid awake for several hours, the several conflicting emotions he had battling within him.
What was the right thing to do?
-.-.-.-.-
Kaku had taken a week off of work to look after Kate, and make sure she had truly recovered. They spent the week reorganizing the house, as well as shopping for any items that Kate wanted to add. It felt like everything had reverted back to when they had first arrived on Monogatari. Complete bliss.
Kaku came down the stairs to Kate cooking pancakes. She smiled at him as her loose rose pink off the shoulder top seemed to dance with her, contrasting with her tight denim shorts. "Morning, Kaku! You should eat before you go to work!" She placed a plate for him on the table.
"Morning, Kate!" He smiled at her as he sat down, feeling a sense of disbelief that this was happening.
I want to make this real.
He debated with himself once again, still unsure of what the right thing to do would be.
Kaku had no family waiting for him. No one aside from the World Government would look for him for their own sake. Kate on the other hand was different...
He happily ate the pancakes, washing his dishes in the sink immediately after. "Thank you for breakfast, Kate. I'm sorry I have to go to work." He sighed as he looked at her, not wanting to leave her side. He had been without her for too long.
She carefully wiped a small crumb from off of his cheek. "Thank you for spending your week off with me. I'll see you at dinner?" She looked at the cuckoo clock they had bought, placed near the dining table.
Kaku snapped finger guns at Kate as he proceeded out the door. "6'o clock sharp! I'll see ya then!" He sprinted before jumping into the air, the "Mountain Wind Express" being the fastest mode of transportation to the toy shop from where they were.
He began to count down the hours until he would be with her again.