Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter took longer to put up guys. ^^; Had more hours at work than usual. But it's a little longer than usual so maybe that'll make up for it? Hopefully? Ah well, anyway, here it is! Chapter 7! In which Nataku builds a Lego fort!
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He was there again.
Satsuki watched him in the reflection of one of her monitors as he spun in a lazy circle in one of her office chairs.
God help him if he breaks something. She thought to herself and tried once more to focus on the screen in front of her. After a few moments of distraction, she finally turned the chair around to face him.
"Why are you here?"
"Hmmm." He drew it out to accommodate a full turn of the chair. "Because?" he asked, coming to a stop facing her.
She stared at him.
"Does it bother you?" He leaned back in the chair, slouched against it.
"No."
"Then does it matter?"
She didn't say anything but felt the irritation building at the back of her mind. No, it shouldn't matter. So why did she want to know? She turned her back to him and pretended to get back to work.
"Hey can I ask something?" He pulled his chair up next to her.
"What?"
"Why did you hack into our system that time?"
"Does it bother you?" she glanced at him.
"Eh? Well no, not exactly…"
"Then it doesn't matter." She replied, not skipping a beat.
He laughed and she gritted her teeth, wishing that it were a little musical a laugh, and that his hair did fall in quite such an appealing way over his forehead when he moved and that his eyes didn't have quite as cheerful a glint to them.
"Hey, don't get me wrong, your place is pretty awesome, but do you ever leave it?" He asked, propping his chin up with his hands.
"Obviously. I met you at Duklyon didn't I?"
"Sure but that was what, twenty or thirty minutes? I meant like do you ever go out and have fun?"
She frowned. "I leave when it's necessary. There isn't much else out there that interests me."
"Seriously? Well damn. I was going to see if you wanted to go somewhere with me."
She wished he would look just a little less genuinely disappointed.
"Like where?"
He shrugged. "I dunno, just somewhere other than this freezing room of yours." He thought for a moment. "Oh I have an idea!"
She sighed and pushed back from the computer. This wasn't going anywhere anyway. "Fine."
"Eh? Really?"
"Sure."
He jumped up and held out a hand to her. "Alright then! Let's go!"
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"This was a kind of complicated lab. Maybe we should meet up this weekend to work on the lab report."
Tooru took a deep breath and smiled as she remembered Saya's shy response.
"Sure. There's a bakery near my house we could meet up at if you want." She nervously adjusted her protective goggles.
Tooru sighed. How could someone possibly look that adorable in chemistry goggles? She could feel her heart speed up a little just at the memory.
In truth, she had finished the lab report in less than an hour but she wanted to see her again. She smiled down at the coffee she had ordered, imagining that the ripples in it were really the younger girl's hair.
"I'm sorry I'm late!" Saya called breathlessly, scooting into the seat across from her.
Tooru shook her head reassuringly. "No, you're about ten minutes early actually, I just got here a little early myself." She wasn't about to admit that she had been there for twenty minutes already, just in case Saya did show up ahead of time.
The girl blushed. "Still, I made you wait, I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Tooru smiled warmly. "About the lab though…"
Saya's blush deepened. "Oh, I actually finished it already." She looked down at the checkered table and pushed her hair back behind her ear. "But I can help you if you need it…"
Tooru laughed softly. "No. I finished it already too actually."
"Oh."
There was a long silence in which they both tried not to look at one another but kept catching each other's eyes as they attempted to sneak peeks. At last Tooru laughed. "Well then, do you want to go do something together today?" She clutched her hands under the table, hoping for a yes.
Saya's eyes lit up and Tooru's heart swelled at the sight of the sparkle that appeared in those baby blues. "Sure! What would you like to do?"
"There's an aquarium not far from here. I go there some days just to relax, would you like to go there with me?"
Saya agreed and they set off together, joking about their class all the way.
In the tropical fish room, a man in a pink suit and white overcoat was chatting with a less than responsive young woman with glasses. The man gave them a brief appraising glance then smiled and asked if the woman he was with wanted to go see the dolphin exhibit. They left the room and for a while the two girls had it all to themselves.
Saya was immediately drawn to the window showing the most brightly colored fish in the room. She stood with her fingertips pressed to the glass, enthralled by them while Tooru stood a little further back, enthralled by Saya herself. There was something enchanting about the childlike wonder she sometimes displayed. Saya began naming the fish and giggled as a few wandered closer to the glass, seeming as fascinated by her as she was by them. With the light shifting in wandering webs over her white skirt and skin and her hair falling in its graceful waves over her back and shoulders, Saya could have passed as a mermaid, Tooru thought, imagining the fish swimming out of the tank to flit about her playfully.
She drew closer and placed a hand on the tank several inches away from where Saya's slender fingers splayed over the glass. It was hard to tell in the wane and distorted light, but she thought thought she caught sight of a faint rosy blush rising to Saya's cheeks.
Two striped fish with gauzy fins seemed to suddenly take notice of one another and one flitted behind a twisting bit of coral, the other following and pausing when the other disappeared from its sight. It cautiously peeked around the coral and jumped back with surprise when the other fish suddenly swam out at it. Tooru slid her hand over just slightly. The two fish started up a game of tag and she could almost hear gurgly giggles among the trail of whimsical bubbles they created. She slid her hand over just enough that the edges of their pinkies were touching and in the corner of her eye she saw Saya glance at her but she didn't move. One of the fish finally caught up with the other and they swam in a small circle as if they were dancing and the gauzy fins became fine ball gowns, skirts swaying around one another, a kind of poetry in motion. Tooru brushed her hand over Saya's without looking over at her and felt her heart drop when Saya moved it, then soar again when she flipped it over to entwine her fingers with Tooru's. The two fish stopped their dance but never stopped their motion, this time merely swimming away to a distant part of the tank, side by side.
They continued to hold hands against the glass and to Tooru it felt like falling into warm water.
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Kamui had spent all day every weekend and several afternoons after school searching for any sign of Fuuma. He had made himself sick once or twice from lack of sleep and wandering around in the cold, but he had since tried to avoid that as he felt bad when Subaru had patiently taken care of him. Subaru never questioned or chastised him for it and Kamui was pretty sure he never would, but still, he didn't want to take advantage. When Subaru first asked him to join them to the dinner party, Kamui declined, thinking that he could spend some more time searching but when the forecast threatened hail and heavy rains that night he reluctantly changed his mind.
Karen greeted all of them with a hug, even though it was the first time she had ever met Kamui. Though he knew she did it to everyone, Kamui couldn't help but feel some relief at the maternal warmth she radiated and he remembered why he always liked Karen. He smiled, noticing that their home was decorated in rich reds and golds accentuated by numerous candles and a crackling fireplace. She might not still be a fire mistress like before, but that didn't appear to have quelled her affinity for it.
"So what is your name again? Sorry I didn't quite hear." Seiichiro asked, walking out of the kitchen, carrying a little girl with white-blonde hair.
"Um Kamui..."
"He's my cousin-" Subaru started.
"What? I don't remember ever meeting him." A female voice from behind him demanded.
Kamui turned although her hair was a bit longer and she was very distinctly feminine, not to mention dressed like a J-pop star, it was the bright green eyes that tipped him off immediately that she was Subaru's sister.
"Hokuto-chan!" Seishirou quickly stepped in and distracted her.
Kakyou had walked in behind her, carrying a bottle of wine which Karen gratefully took and led him into the kitchen. As he followed her though Kamui noticed Kakyou glance over his shoulder and give him a strange look. He wondered about it briefly then felt a tug on the edge of his shirt and looked down to see a young boy he immediately recognized. It was strange though, seeing him this small and innocent-looking. Not that Nataku had ever been particularly menacing but all the same.
"Oni-chan?" the little boy prompted.
"Uh yeah?"
"Are you a friend of mommy's?" he asked, wide violet eyes locked on Kamui.
"No, Subaru is and I live with him right now." Kamui explained.
Nataku tilted his head slightly. "Then how come I know you?"
Kamui's eyes widened and he looked up to glance at Subaru but realized they were the only two in the room. "You know me?" he asked, looking back down.
"I think so… or I think I know someone named 'Kamui'." His eyes suddenly glazed over in confusion. "I don't know… I don't remember anymore."
"Maybe you just knew somebody else with the same name." Kamui evasively suggested.
Nataku looked away with a small frown then shook his head and returned his gaze to Kamui with a shy smile. "Well then can we be friends?"
There was something utterly absurd about meeting a person who months ago was part of a group that was trying to destroy the world and was now a small child, asking to be your friend.
"Um, I guess."
"Then come on, I wanna show you my legos!" Nataku grabbed his hand and led him through the living room, where everyone else had gathered.
"Nataku, sweetie, what are you doing?" Karen asked as he walked past the couch, still dragging Kamui.
"I'm going to show my new friend my legos!" Nataku informed her.
"Oh honey, let Kamui sit in here with us…"
"But…"
"It's okay." Kamui shrugged. He nodded at Karen. "I don't mind, really." He really didn't know what he would be able to say among the adults. At least Nataku seemed to have a plan in mind.
The little girl Seiichiro had been carrying hopped down from his lap on the couch and toddled after them. "Me too!" she cried and Nataku held out his other hand for her, waiting patiently for her to catch up before leading her and Kamui both into a play room strewn with toys.
Nataku settled down by a pile of legos and Kamui sank to his knees beside him, listening as Nataku chattered away aliens and dinosaurs and how they needed a fortress to defend themselves against the attacking robot army. Kamui helped him construct said fortress, handing him the colored plastic blocks one at a time as Nataku carefully analyzed his structure to see where each piece belonged. The little girl suddenly wandered up to them both, clutching a worn stuffed animal and watched them, silently sucking her thumb.
"That's a nice teddy bear." Kamui said at long last, hoping she didn't feel left out.
Her eyes grew rounder and she pulled the thumb out of her mouth to hold it up to him. "His name is Paul!" she announced, peering shyly around the teddy bear to peek at him.
Kamui smiled and patted the bear. "That's a cool name."
She beamed up at him.
"You have no idea how much you have just endeared yourself to her." Seiichiro chuckled from the doorway. "Dinner's about ready, if you want to join them in the dining room, Kamui. As for you guys-" he picked up the little girl. "It's bedtime."
Nataku groaned. "Do we hafta?"
"Afraid so, kiddo." Seiichiro reached down with a free hand to ruffle his hair.
The boy pouted for a moment then grabbed Kamui's arm and looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Will you come over and play again sometime Oni-chan?"
"Yeah!" the girl added around her thumb.
Seiichiro laughed. "They seem to have both taken a liking to you. I don't suppose you'd be willing to babysit once in a while?"
"Oh…" Kamui hesitated, thinking this would give him less time to look for Fuuma, then caught sight of the pleading looks the kids were both giving him. "I guess so."
"Eh? Really? I was kidding but if you're willing, we could use someone to look after them once in a while…" Seiichiro gently pulled his glasses out of the girl's hands as she took them off and tried to put them on herself.
Kamui shrugged. "Sure, why not."
"Wow! Thanks!" He directed Kamui to the dining room before disappearing down the hallway to put Nataku and Kazuki to bed.
Kamui returned to where the adults all were and took a seat next to Subaru who quickly explained that the others there he didn't recognize were work friends of Karen's and Seiichiro's. Kamui nodded and tried to keep up with the many conversations going on around him, letting himself get lost in the jovial banter of the evening.
The night wore on and some of the guests left, leaving only Kamui, Subaru, Seishirou, Hokuto and Kakyou.
Kamui laughed as he watched Seishirou and Hokuto team up to tease Subaru about the time he fell out of a tree trying to rescue a cat when he was a teenager then noticed out of the corner of his eye that Kakyou was watching him, with what looked like an intentionally set black expression. Kamui started to ask about it but Kakyou quickly turned and struck up a conversation with Karen. Kamui tried to brush it off and turned back to the twins and Seishirou who were now animatedly telling Seiichiro about the time they had all tried learning how to ski. Kamui smiled but was beginning to feel a little bit like an extra again so he excused himself from the table and wandered out onto the covered patio he had passed by earlier.
He took a deep breath, once outside, watching the hail pound the sidewalk, scattering pieces of ice and suddenly he was overwhelmed, reminded of a time shards of glass had scattered around him like that. He shuddered and closed his eyes, willing the image to go away when he heard someone walk up beside him. He looked over, expecting to see Subaru but was surprised when it was Kakyou instead, staring out at the hail himself.
"Is Subaru looking for me?" Kamui asked, wondering why Kakyou had followed him out.
The blond man shook his head. "No, I just wanted a chance to talk to you alone."
"Oh… why?"
Kakyou turned to look him in the eye. "I wanted to thank you."
"Huh? For what?" Kamui tried to remember what he could have possibly said or done this evening that could have benefitted him.
"For making that wish."
Kamui froze. "You… remember?"
Kakyou shook his head slowly. "No, but I've dreamed about it. I used to think they were just imaginative dreams until I saw you show up tonight with Subaru and Seishirou." He paused. "I used to be a dreamseer didn't I?"
Kamui nodded.
"I thought so. What about the other Kamui? Is he here too?" Kakyou inquired.
Kamui crossed his arms, pulling them in close to his body. "I don't know. I haven't been able to find him."
Kakyou contemplated this for a while, watching as the hail slowed down and gradually relaxed into pouring rain. "Maybe… he doesn't want to be found."
"But why?" Kamui half-whined, feeling ashamed even as the words left his mouth.
"Not all wishes can be granted; some contradict one another." Kakyou sighed. "There's no way for everyone to be happy."
Kamui started, remember the time that Subaru had told him the same thing. "What do you mean?"
Before Kakyou could answer, Subaru stuck his head out of the patio door. "Hey Kamui? Are you ready to go? Seishirou and I were going to head out before it starts to hail again."
"Um, yeah, I'm coming." He reluctantly began to head inside.
"Kamui?" Kakyou called softly.
Kamui paused.
"As I said before, it seems like it's important for you to hear…"
Kamui glanced over his shoulder. "What is?"
"Thank you."
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I looved writing that Tooru/Saya scene. It's just so pretty in my head. ^-^ And I always found Nataku adorable as it was, the cuteness of a sixish year old Nataku is just too much.