*Last but not least...
Nathaniel was making a conscious effort not to squirm in his chair near the fireplace in the lounge, but the urge to move was winning out. I can't really be this nervous to see Reina again. It's been almost four months since she came home last, and I did fine over the summer. I honestly thought I was starting to get over this crush. So why am I so nervous?
He felt a pair of amber eyes fixed on him, but pointedly ignored the owner's stare. Olivia isn't helping. I know she means well, but she was way over the top at Lotus Salvus last summer. She promised she'd never tell Reina about this, but the way Liv was pushing us together could have given it away just as easily. If she would stop pressing the issue, I might have a shot of dropping it for good.
The orange-masked turtle took a deep breath and exhaled, forcing a smile when his mother crossed into his line of vision. She'd been moving a hundred miles an hour all day with the other women preparing for the party, but now Rebecca seemed much more relaxed. Wish I could get on that train.
He swallowed but maintained the grin when his mother wandered toward him. The woman's fingers lightly toyed with the tails of his mask.
"You feeling all right?" she asked.
Nate wanted to sigh, but refrained. "Why wouldn't I be? Whole family will be back together tonight."
Becky nodded. "Everyone's been looking forward to it, but you seem a little...removed."
The seventeen-year-old shrugged off her concern. "Didn't get enough sleep last night, and woke up too early. I'm sorta tired, but don't let me drag you down."
Her quizzical expression told him she saw through the excuse, but thankfully, the woman didn't push. Nate got to his feet and gave her a side hug to further deflect the anxiety.
"I'm getting hungry too," he told her.
That got her to smile. "Everything is ready...we're only waiting on Reina now."
Nathaniel nodded. "Need help with anything else?"
"Nope. Tables are set, food is being kept warm in the oven...and the natives are getting restless." She jerked a hand toward the pacing Jayden, who appeared reminiscent of a lion stalking its dinner.
Nate was surprised to laugh at his mountain of a cousin. "He has to eat every fifteen minutes, or he might pass out."
The young purple-masked turtle looked over his shoulder, as though he knew he was being talked about. "You're sure there's nothing in here we can start on?" There was a hint of a whine in the fifteen-year-old's voice with the question he directed to his mother.
Jenna folded her arms. "There was, but you guys plowed through the snacks an hour ago. I told you to pace yourself. Remember?"
Jayden grumbled something inaudible and flounced to the end of the couch.
"Chin up, Jay." Becky winked at the purple-masked turtle. "I heard a rumor they'll be here within the hour."
Jayden rested his chin in a huge hand. "Could have had a pizza delivered five times by now."
"Our moms' food is way better," Nate offered.
"Not when it's being held hostage," his cousin retorted.
Nathaniel shook his head at the over-sized turtle. "I bet you'll survive."
"But smelling everything in the meantime is cruel and unusual punishment."
Charlotte suddenly hooked an arm around her burly brother's neck from behind. "Are you hungry enough to eat the floorboards yet?"
Jayden shot her a disapproving glare. "Don't rub it in, twin."
Her eye-ridges rose innocently. "Better be nice to me, Jay, or I could walk away without sharing."
He spun on the cushion. "Sharing what?"
She extended an arm from behind her back to reveal a plate loaded down with bacon-wrapped Parmesan crisps, stuffed mushroom caps, and a large glob of cheese-ball surrounded by crackers.
Her brother looked dumbfounded. "It was all gone!"
"I set it aside for you earlier," Charlotte stated obviously. "Someone has to save you from starving."
Jayden grinned. "You're the best, Charlie."
"Hey!" the young blue-masked called from across the room. "What the shell? Are you stockpiling food, Jayden?"
The purple-masked male didn't spare Timothy a glance until he'd already popped two Parmesan crisps in his mouth. "Nah," he answered through crumbs. "Charlie is, 'cause she's the best sister ever."
"Who can't stand it when you whine," she added.
"Can I get one of those?" Tim pleaded with his eyes, staring at the mushrooms.
Jayden pondered the question a moment before handing over a couple of the sausage stuffed mushroom caps. "Don't say I never gave you nothin'."
Nate was about to beg for a Parmesan crisp when he sensed someone behind him. He knew it was Olivia without even turning around, but gave her a tentative side glance. "You here to beg for food too?"
"Please. I have sources for that," she returned. "I just noticed some place settings got rearranged at the table."
"Hm?" His expression remained even, giving nothing away willingly.
"Why are you on the opposite end from Reina?"
Nathaniel cast a quick glance at his other cousins, but they were engaged in the appetizers. "Why does it matter where I sit? Her parents are closer to her this way."
"Am I gonna have to kick your shell, Nate?"
"No, you have to leave it alone, Liv." The edge in his tone spoke volumes without being forced to raise his voice.
The red-masked turtle gave him a dirty look, but to her credit, said nothing more.
The sound of the door opening made the orange-masked turtle whip around so hard it hurt his neck, but he only saw Olivia's new "fiance" slipping into the room with a mischievous smirk.
Nate noted traces of snow on the young man's coat. "Where'd you go?"
"Nowhere," Jake said evasively.
"Did you get them?" Olivia hissed.
The curly-haired man patted his backpack. "Won't stay hot much longer."
Liv made a slashing motion across her throat. "Let's go check out the fire on the sky deck, Jake," she said pointedly.
Nate snorted as the pair made a beeline for the side door. If we're all this hungry, I can't imagine how our dads are doing. If I didn't know better, I'd think they snuck out for some "appetizers" too. He was tempted to follow his cousin and her fiance to weasel away a portion of the spoils, but chose to remain seated.
He'd no sooner settled deeper in the chair than his nervous flinch returned full force. Shell. Please let me get through this.
The phone call that preceded their guest of honor's arrival had the opposite effect of what Nate expected. Instead of a spike of nerves, he immediately felt resigned to working up a good face for a convincing welcome.
The orange-masked turtle was already waiting on his feet before the door opened again. His knees jerked on their own accord, as if his body planned to act without him. Nate stiffened up like a statue, refusing to budge while Luke led the way inside the lounge.
He caught his breath as the twenty-year-old object of his affection came in behind her father. Nate's eyes unintentionally widened while taking in the full sight of the young woman, staring at her blue diamond-print off the shoulder sweater and lingering far too long on the white skinny jeans that hugged her legs above brown suede boots.
The seventeen-year-old blinked rapidly, but his behavior went unnoticed among the sudden flurry of activity. He took a step backwards while the rest of the family surged forward to greet the young woman. Nate remained frozen in place, choosing to focus on the back of his aunt Jenna's head instead of Reina's frame. C'mon, Nate. She's your "cousin". Pull yourself together!
A hard pinch of his shoulder broke through his reverie, and he shot Olivia a glare.
"Go!" she ordered softly.
"You go," he commanded under his breath.
"Nathaniel Yoshio, you are impossible," she whispered fiercely.
"Stop pushing me," he returned through gritted teeth.
Amber eyes narrowing were the only warning he had before her arm roughly clipped his shell, sending him temporarily off balance. "Now I'm pushing you."
He didn't have a chance to get angry, because another pair of arms was encircling him from the side.
"No need to fight you two," Reina quipped. "I swear there's enough of me to go around."
The orange-masked turtle automatically threw his arms around the young woman. The sweet scent of vanilla consumed him while she buried her face against his shoulder, as though reluctant to let go.
"I've missed you so much," she declared.
"I've missed you too." He quickly released his grip along with the lurch in his stomach. "Don't let me hog you, though," Nate added weakly.
Reina stepped over to greet Olivia. "It feels like it's been forever."
"Sure," Liv said playfully. "You've been so busy, you've probably hardly thought of us. But you look amazing. Is all of this stuff new?" She indicated the girl's attire appreciatively.
Reina laughed. "New to me. Rome has some of the best flea markets in the world. I've been building up pieces here and there for months."
"Why didn't we get to see any of them last summer?" the red-masked turtle teased. "Think you could find some boots in my size?"
The young woman shook her head. "It took me forever to wear any of it, Liv. My roommate found the things in my closet, and threatened to steal it all if I didn't start using it."
Olivia frowned. "You let someone else push you around?"
Reina laughed once more. "Only when I really need a kick in the pants. Don't worry, Liv. No one pushes me around like you."
The red-masked turtle smirked. "Better keep it that way."
"You've got a fiance and a new brother or sister to focus on!" the young woman insisted. "You won't have time to run my life too."
Liv tossed her braided mask tails with a snort. "I'm good at multi-tasking."
Reina glanced over her shoulder at Nate, and her warm smile made his knees feel weak. "I'll catch up with you guys again later. Need to keep moving so everyone gets quality time," she joked. "Remind that I need to show you something, okay, Nate?"
"Yeah. I'm sure I'll see you again tonight."
"It'll be pretty hard to miss me." The blond gave him a wry smile and embraced him one more time.
For an instant the young turtle melted into her vanilla scent, which slowly gave way to soft orchid. Then he came to his senses with a jerk.
"Are you okay?" Reina drew backwards.
He nodded emphatically, fighting the blush from rising. "I...it was just a chill. I'm gonna park myself closer to the fireplace."
"Reina!" The combined cry of Charlotte and Alexis succeeded in drawing the young woman away.
Nathaniel breathed a sigh of relief toward her retreating form, but it was interrupted by a stinging swat across the back of his head.
"Could you be any more anal?" Liv demanded softly.
He faced his cousin crossly. "You're not helping, Olivia. Can't you see I'm barely treading water here?"
"That's why you need to talk to her!"
"Why can't you let it go? This is hard enough without dealing with your added pressure."
"You're pissing me off – that's why. Two and a half years is too long to watch you burn behind her back and run when she's here."
He huffed in anger. "You don't know anything about it, so do me a favor. Stop. Pushing."
"You're confusing Reina, and probably hurting her too. Do you think she can't tell you're trying to avoid her?"
The orange-masked turtle closed his eyes briefly. "I'm going to get this under control."
"That's not the answer, Nate, but you're entirely too shell-headed to see it."
He turned away from his cousin's challenging glare, and headed for the table instead. Liv had better keep her mouth shut. I can trust her. I can, he reminded himself. But she still needs to cool it. Nate sighed as he scooted his chair up to the table. Wish I could cool it too.
Reina clutched the strap of her bag self consciously as she slipped through the door leading to the sky deck, wandering into the cold evening air. The orange-masked turtle was there, just like Olivia had said he'd be. The blond hesitated in her step, staring at Nate's back. He certainly knew she was there; it was difficult to get anything past a ninja.
Still, the nerves in her stomach prevented her from moving immediately. She'd been so decisive on the plane earlier, so determined in her quest, but now that Reina was here, it was harder than expected. Just the same, the young woman was also too perplexed by certain inconsistencies to let the subject die.
Nate has always been himself, but...in person, things are different. He's restrained. In his e-mails and over the phone, he feels more normal, but when we're together...
The turtle's head turned toward her. "Hey."
"Hi," she answered simply, despite the inner avalanche of questions. "I've been looking for you. Are you hiding from everybody out here?"
Nate shook his head with a weak smile. "No. I wanted some air."
Reina padded over to the bench he was seated on, situated closed to the fire pit. "Have you got room for one more?"
"Always have room for you."
She sat down slowly, but left a generous amount of space between them. Reina had come to realize he seemed more comfortable that way. "Sure didn't see much of you tonight."
"I'm trying to be nice and share you."
Reina nodded. "Sounds like you. Hear you've got a new nickname."
He looked confused for a moment, but then smiled sheepishly. "Olivia started that a couple months ago, and some of the others picked it up."
"What does 'Chokkan' mean?"
"It's the Japanese word for intuition. Liv made us take this ridiculously in-depth personality test, and it sort of snowballed from there."
Reina chuckled. "Of course. You must have tested extremely high in the intuitive department."
He shrugged. "I don't know what the point of it all was."
"Takes a little work to see deeper than the surface," she said carefully.
Nate nodded thoughtfully. "Well...does it feel good to be home?"
"Yeah." Reina fiddled with the strap of her bag again. "I couldn't wait to see everyone. It sucked not coming home for Christmas."
"We missed you. Everyone's been excited about this for weeks."
The silence that suddenly lapsed between them felt unnatural, and Reina could hardly stand it. That's what made her finally reach for her bag. "I said I wanted to show you something."
Nate's blue-green eyes brightened. "A new piece you're working on?"
"I'm working on a few, but no. This is different." She withdrew the scrapbook from her messenger bag and held it out for the turtle to see. "I've been cataloging all my contact with home over the last two years."
"Cataloging?"
"Every one of my dad's handwritten letters, and I printed a lot of e-mails too," she said casually. "I like having one central place to go back to and read over things again...whenever I'm missing home so much it feels like I'll die."
The orange-masked turtle fidgeted, giving her a side glance. "Sounds a little rough."
"It has been. But Rome is an incredible experience too, eye-opening in many ways. I've always enjoyed creating art, even if I didn't think it mattered like...like the things you and our family do. But since I've spent time in Italy, immersed myself completely in the process, it feels...like I've been set free inside what I love."
"Your work does matter," he insisted. "Without beauty and creativity, the world would be a really dark place. I know it isn't the same for m—us since you've been gone, but I wouldn't trade this experience for you."
She gazed at him for a silent beat before flipping through the first couple pages of her book. "It's amazing how much power these letters had to cheer me up."
Nate looked down at the page she'd stopped on and grinned. "Hey. That's one of mine."
Reina nodded, trying to figure out how she could create a transition to talk about what was weighing on her heart. "Your letters have meant a lot to me."
"That's what family's for."
The young woman hesitated a moment longer. "I was a little sad when I got on the plane in Italy, and I found myself flipping through the scrap book again. Noticed something I hadn't before."
Nate grimaced. "Right. You just broke up with Marcelo. You were seeing him...what, six months?"
"Nearly. I guess I was a little melancholy about him, but it got me thinking too."
"It's gonna happen for you, Reina," Nathaniel told her, blissfully unaware that she wasn't finished. "I'm sorry it didn't work out with him."
"It's the third time it hasn't 'worked out' with someone, unless you're counting the one who shall not be named." She pursed her lips at the mere thought of Alex and shoved the memory aside. "Three guys I've dated over the course of the last two years. I found myself comparing them, critiquing the relationships. I figured out they all had the same basic flaw."
Nate gave her a lopsided smile. "Language barrier?"
Reina tried to laugh, but her heart was in her throat. Do it. Just say it. "No. They weren't you."
He stiffened, and she swore the turtle almost backed away. "Wh...what do you mean?"
She stared down at the scrap book, knowing it was too late to back out. "It hit me when I was skimming the letters. The ones I kept coming back to...they were all yours. I probably read them at least three times more than the others. And I never thought anything of it, not until I was sitting on that plane, imagining what it would be like to have you in front of me."
Reina looked up with difficulty, searching his eyes for emotion or reaction. She sensed fear above all else, and it almost made her drop the scrap book and run. Instead she held on to the book like it grounded her to that spot, and continued.
"The excitement I felt when I pictured greeting you...it doesn't compare to anyone else. Not that I wasn't happy to see my family, but...with you, it's different."
The young woman desperately wanted Nathaniel to say something, but he was silent. "I don't know when this happened," she confessed. "I mean...we grew up close, but not..." Reina trailed off, trying to gather the correct words. "I've always loved you like family, Nate, but now...I think there's a strong possibility that I am in love with you." She ended the sentence slowly, pronouncing each word under duress. "And I know it probably sounds crazy and weird, but I can't help it. I wanted to yell it out loud on the plane. I wanted to tell you the moment I saw you tonight. Because even though this is...insane, it's too hard to hold back. It would be like bottling up my tears and never letting them flow, or never picking up a paintbrush to create again. Like..."
"Like you feel the urge to fly, but you can't get off the ground," Nate offered lowly. "Like your insides are screaming, but no one else hears it. Like every time you repress it, a small part of you dies...until you'd rather hide from everyone and everything."
Reina hugged the book to her chest, breath coming faster. "Sounds like you know how it feels."
His eyes finally fixed on her for the first time since she'd taken the plunge. "I have some experience."
She slowly released her death grip on the book and inched closer to him on the bench. "Someone you haven't told me about?"
He shook his head and his voice trembled when he spoke. "It's you. It's always been you."
Reina bit her lip as tears rose. "How long?"
"I...years," he admitted.
The young woman was surprised by the nerves remaining in her gut. "I should have seen it sooner. I can't believe it took me this long to realize...you're the only one I really want."
When she shuddered, he wrapped an arm around her back. "It's not your fault."
"I tortured you with details about those other guys, with Alex..."
"It's not your fault." Nate's fingers caressed her cheek, hesitant, brushing away a trailing tear.
He started to draw back, and she grabbed his hand to keep it in place. The beautiful eyes returning her gaze still held fear, but there was openness too. It was the signal she'd been hoping for. Reina slowly pressed toward him until her lips found his.
The young woman hadn't "planned" the kiss to start with, let alone how long it lingered. She also wasn't prepared for the orange-masked turtle to suddenly surge stronger. Surprise turned to elation with the accompanying sparks, and breathing felt unnecessary.
Reina was so wrapped up in his presence, the sensation of muscular arms engulfing her waist, of warm breath heating wind-chapped skin, that an outside gasp hardly registered in her ears. It wasn't until Nate simultaneously released his grip and bolted upright that she had the wits to see her father standing a couple feet away, mouth agape.
A strangled laugh erupted from the man as he rapidly backpedaled. "Sorry, I didn't...I...that's...different." A strange smile overtook the doctor as he raced for the door. "Sorry. I'm gone. I was never here."
Reina laughed as Nate hid his eyes behind his hands. "He has the best timing, right?"
"Who are we kidding? It wouldn't have stayed a secret for long anyway. As it is, I couldn't even keep it from Olivia." Nate broke eye contact to look down, then raised his gaze apprehensively. "Reina, I want this. I've wanted it for so long, but...I don't want you to settle."
She caught the turtle's chin in both hands. "This is not settling. My heart knows what I want. It just took my brain longer to get a clue."