A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Y, who's been following this series of drabbles since the very beginning.
Promises That Are Meant To Be Broken Can Be Made With Unknown Customs
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During my stay with the Kiheitai I've been learning a lot about earth customs. Especially about samurais, learning about their 'bushido', their disciplines, etc. Learned about their obsession with tea, seriously, they're obsessed with that boiling leaves juice. About the clothes they usually wear, about those weird 'mage' things in their hair. About the wars before the amantos invaded. It's quite interesting to learn about their culture.
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We've been staying on Earth for a little while. Everyone is busy doing something; gathering information, meeting with informants, reunions with allies all that stuff. Since the sun has almost set I've been left to my own devices (after I got rid of Abuto), and I took the chance to explore the structure of the building. The rooms are very spacious and have almost nothing in them, the doors are made of paper, and they slid to be opened, they're not very sound-proof, nor punch-proof. The gardens are pretty, they have a lot of flowers of many colors, and those big trees with pink flowers are beautiful, the petals fall and it looks like pink snow. I'm inspecting the flowers closely when I hear someone get close to me.
"Do you like the sakura trees?" asks Shinsuke.
"Yes, I like flowers"
"Never thought you'd like something as mundane like flowers" he comments.
"My mother liked them" I answer quietly.
"I see"
We don't say much more. There's no need for it, we just sit down to see the falling petals.
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Dinner was good, I had tons of food, and earth food is quite delicious. I roam around 'till I get to my room, I let my hair loose and get to change my clothes for my pajamas, I'm a bit tired today. There's a small knock on the door.
"Come in" I call out.
The door opens to reveal Shinsuke holding a bottle and two small plates (cups, those little red things are cups for drinking liquor) and a blue flower in his hands, meaning he used his bare foot to open and close the door.
"Care for a drink?" he questions sitting next to me by the window.
"Sure" I concede.
He puts the flower on my left ear, then opens the bottle to pour the liquor (sake, earthlings I know usually drink something called sake) on the two cups; he offers me one and I take a sip.
"Not bad. Never tasted sake before"
"There's always a first thing for everything"
"So, what's the motive of this visit?" I inquire.
"Not much. Just wanted to see if you actually drank liquor" he teases.
"I'm a pirate, of course I've drank before" I argue offended.
He chuckles and drinks from his cup. We talk about several things, from anecdotes of war, to dumb things our subordinates do. In between chatter and laughs, the bottle starts to wear down.
"So, what's the flower for?" I question after a while.
"It matches your eyes, and you said you liked flowers"
"I do"
He seems to think for a little bit, looking out the window, he pours more sake in both cups once he gets out of his daze.
"Kamui. Could we do something?" he asks hesitantly.
"What is it?" I inquire looking up.
"Hold your cup up" he instructs. "Now put your cup close to my lips"
As I comply he does the same, putting his cup close to my lips.
"Now you tilt your cup slightly, I will do the same, and we both take three small sips"
I do as told; I tilt my cup, and take three small sips. I watch him from under my eyelashes as he slowly lowers his hand.
"What's all this for?"
"Just a promise" he answers. "Don't try to do this with anyone else though"
"If you say so"
I don't push the subject any further. We ended up finishing the bottle after a few more rounds, and decided it was time to go to bed. I put the blue flower in a vase I found laying around in my room. We got inside the covers and I kissed Shinsuke goodnight. He put an arm around me, his nose sniffing my hair, he mumbled something I didn't quite catch, but I didn't bother to ask about it. We fell asleep right away.
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It's been a while since the alliance with the Kiheitai ended. I patched things up with my sister, and visited sometimes. One day we were lounging in the Yorozuya office, watching television. Kagura liked some soap opera, so we were seeing that. As the episode progresses I see something that bugs me; a couple during a marriage ceremony are giving the other sake, I noticed they take three sips. I ask about it.
"It's an old earthly tradition, the three sips represent something like the matrimonial vows, it's an important part of the ceremony since it seals the deal, or something like that, uh-huh" says Kagura focused on the television.
"That so?" I mumble.
I smile. Never thought Shinsuke would be the type to follow such traditions. There was no need to wonder why he didn't tell me about it since we both knew that what we had wasn't going to last too long.
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It was during a New Year party that I met Shinsuke again. The party was loud, there was alcohol and food everywhere and everyone was having fun chatting and doing stupid things like punching each other on truth and dare (I don't understand why).
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The party was noisy, and I was getting a headache, so I went to a less concurred part. As I walked I saw Shinsuke sitting down watching the moon. I walked closer to him.
"Shinsuke" I greet.
"Kamui. It's been a while" he greets motioning for me to sit down.
I notice a tray with a few bottles of sake and some cups close to him.
"Yes. It has passed some time".
"I saw you're getting along with your family now" he comments.
"It's not like the old days, but we try"
"That's good"
"I saw you were getting along with your brothers" I taunt.
"Not really my brothers. But I guess we are something akin to that" he admits.
I hum in response. We sit admiring the moon for a while, feeling the breeze brushing our skin.
"Do you remember, one night you went to my room with a bottle of sake and a blue flower?" I ask slowly.
"... Yes"
"I learned the meaning of what you asked back then" I hint.
"And what is it that I asked?" he inquires.
"Giving the other three sips of sake, is like giving your matrimonial vows" I say cautiously.
"So you know about that" he sighs.
"I know why you didn't tell me back then, I'm not upset about it" I assure him.
"Sorry to have done a silly thing like that"
"Shinsuke" I call looking at him. "Want to renew those vows?"
His eye widens, and he laughs like I just told a good joke. Once he calms down he looks at me with a smirk and a fond look on his eye.
"You sure?"
"Yeah" I smile
We turn to the tray, and we serve two cups, holding them to the other's lips, we both drink the content in three sips. We look at the other, putting our hands down, and we both lean for a kiss, fireworks start to explode in the sky and there's a chorus of happy yells. It's finally New Year.
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