Happy New Year everyone! And thank you all for reviewing:P Hope everyone had great Holidays.
This chapter took me the longest out of all of them to write. Sorry for the delay. I didn't know if I wanted to extend things, drag them out, or just face the simple facts that there will be an end to Engel's Zimmer. (I also wanted to get my romatic creative juices flowing, but that's another story involving sappy romances and The Princess Bride.) This, however, is not the end to this story, so don't get too worried!
And the chapter title is lovingly ripped from Spirited Away. Tripple Snuckle Fudge Brownies for everyone!
Anywho, Enjoy!
Engel's Zimmer
Chapter 8 - Always Return
The wet dew seeped into her ducky Pjs, and the fireflies, once drawn to her, had flittered off to this stranger, and buzzed around him. Clung to him as if to keep him there, to make him stay just a moment longer. Even she thought he was an illusion. Her heart was stuttering, and it made her world spin with dizziness. She was so relieved, she could cry.
They had defeated Death. They had proved Death wrong. How?
If Death never got a Happily Ever After, why did he give up so easily? Somehow, Haru knew it wasn't the last she would see of him, and that --- more than anything else --- scared her.
The stranger stood, brushing grass from his knees, and turned to her with mild grace, a white-gloved hand outstretched to her. "Let's go home, Haru."
Unsurely, she stared up into the man's shadowed face and watched a firefly pass, her hand raised to meet his. He took her hand, and then her heart, which had held her up through trails and tears and so many hopes she couldn't remember, finally gave way and exhaustion consumed ever ounce of her body. She fell back into the oaks and knew only darkness. And the fireflies.
All of those thousands of fireflies lit in the night.
----
Sunshine spilled into the dark room, breathing life upon the shadows and black night, rushing them away into dark corners and breathless alleys. It seemed to shine especially bright that morning, and later Haru would think Death had called back his night to let the day shine, to let at least one day be shadow-free. It would, in fact, be one of the prettiest days of May.
At the foot of Haru's bed, Muta yawned and stretched, absently grumbling why he hadn't gotten a cat bed yet, or at least a feather pillow to sleep on. A down comforter would have been nice too.
"Complaining as always, I see."
The fat cat stopped in mid-stretch and turned towards the bedside table. He must have still been dreaming. "Baron?"
On the bedside table, the prestigious cat figurine tipped his hat to his old friend with a grin. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?"
"But didn't Haru take you to that Seiji guy?" It couldn't be real. He was gone, wasn't he? Muta looked from Baron, to Haru fast asleep, and back to Baron again. "Didn't she?"
"She did."
"But then ---"
But Baron just kept grinning, unable to stop. His green eyes gleamed brighter in the sunlight, so much more alive than the years Muta had know them. There was a curious, beatific sheen to them. Something strange had happened last night, something weird and somewhat miraculous, but he doubted Baron would ever tell. Baron or Haru.
"So you're back."
Baron cocked his head and turned his cat eyes to Haru.
Muta came closer to his friend. "You're --- You're not thinking of leaving her again, are you?" When Baron didn't answer, he prodded further, "You can't! Baron, she's been doing everything to bring you back. Everything. Don't do this to her. She'll miss you, Toto will miss you --- I'll miss you damn it!"
The cat figurine tossed his top hat to the side.
"Baron!" Muta trounced over to him, keeping his voice as quiet as possible. If Haru woke up and found Baron about to leave, her heart would shatter. He knew it would. "Don't do this to us . . ."
"There's a lot to consider, Muta," he sighed and pulled up a leg to put his chin on his knee.
"Like what?" Muta scoffed. "There's you. There's her. Put two and two together and bam! You got yourself Happily Ever After!"
Again, Baron sighed, his voice quiet and gentle, "Be practical, Muta. A human and a toy cannot live 'Happily Ever After' no matter how many magic spells are wrapped around it."
"But you don't have to be wood! Look at that birdbrain there. He's hitchin' up with Haru's mom."
He took a headlong glance to Haru again to make sure she was still fast asleep. After last night's adventure, he was sure she'd be tired enough to sleep the day away, and his guess was proving right. "He was lucky, Muta. And what if I do become human? I would have no personal history, no records, and no education." To that, Muta scoffed. "I wouldn't have any money, not a house or a diploma for someone my age. All I would have would be a name, and a lot good that does me."
The cat shrugged and pawed his way up to the dresser table. "Baron, have you ever heard of the phrase 'Cross your fingers and hope for the best'?"
"I'm familiar with it."
"Do me a favor and try it."
Baron looked dumbfounded. How could he? He'd never done anything so rash or reckless in his existence. It was idiotic of him to even try, for he knew he would fall flat on his face. But wasn't that exactly what Death wanted? Death had given him a choice, after all, before he took Haru home. He had said, "I will do this for Haru, not you. You both have outwitted me for now, so my consciousness will nag on me if I don't give you your just desserts. I will give you three hours, Baron. If you choose to become human, then you will be one. If you choose to not, don't come crying to me to join my dance again, understand?"
Baron had understood then that he would not have to make that choice. Either choice, actually. The Bureau would have suited him just fine again. But now, as he looked upon this young woman who had juristically changed his life, he was hesitant.
So very hesitant it scared him.
Who's to say Haru would still love him in ten years time? Who's to say that he would still love her? But oh, he would. He knew he would. It was only foolishness that prompted him to believe she wouldn't either.
"Cross my fingers and hope for the best?"
Muta nodded enthusiastically.
He never expected himself to even consider the rash phrase. To rely on simple faith to persevere. It was absurd. Yet the moment he sat, one leg dangling from the dresser, the other propping up his chin, it suddenly wasn't so absurd. It wasn't quite as absurd as he once thought. "Then I cross my fingers."
And then the room, and the world, looked so much smaller.
Baron tightly closed his eyes, and opened them again to make sure he wasn't seeing things. No, he wasn't. Death held true to his bargain. He raised his fleshy hand and flexed it. If his mind wasn't boggled, he might have noticed it was glove-less.
"Whoa," Muta whispered and stumbled back onto Haru's stomach.
Haru couldn't have been woken by even a freight train, but when Muta tipped over and scrambled to get his footing on her stomach, it was rather hard not to feel the weight. She let out a groan and pushed the fat cat off her. "Muta! What are you doing?"
"But he --- but Baron ---"
At the mention of Baron, the young woman snapped her eyes open and sat up, rolling the fat cat off her bed. He landed on his stomach with a loud thud. "What?"
She turned to a man, half-leaning, half standing against her dresser, eyes as wide as hers. He titled away from her slightly, suddenly very uncomfortable in such a situation. Neither of them breathed, neither of them spoke. Not until, at least Muta, annoyed as he was, swiped at the man's bare feet. When he looked down, he suddenly flushed a vibrant red.
Bare feet.
Bare legs.
Bare . . . ah. Realization hit him like a freight train.
Death, it seemed, did not surrender without a fight.
Haru found herself staring. "Eeep!" she yelped and dove her head into her pillow again, clawing for her spare blankets behind her. Her hands snagged one, balled her fist into the meaty cloth, and chunked it in his general direction. He caught the wad of blanket and pinned it around him, then stooped to get a good kick at Muta.
"Why didn't you tell me!" he hissed at Muta, who had seen his clear and present danger seconds before, began to toddle towards the door. He didn't get away without a swift kick in the behind. "You bloody cat!"
"I resent that!" he cried in return as he sailed out of the room, and pawed the door closed before Baron could follow.
The young man could have gone out and chased the fatso cat around the house, but he doubted that would have been such a wise decision in only a plaited quilt wrapped around his waist. And what would Haru's mom think? What would she think anyway, if she barged into the room and found a man in her daughter's room? "Cross my fingers my bloody ass," he cursed quietly and clutched onto the quilt a bit tighter.
This was simply brilliant. Death was probably laughing from wherever he stayed. Laughing and pointing a finger and doing all of the childish things, and know that he had had the last laugh.
Which, sadly, was true.
"B-Baron?" Haru squeaked, rising from her pillow again, hoping he was not quite nude anymore.
At the sound of his name, the young man turned and met her eyes. He saw her smile, and in a flurry of flailing blankets and stuffed animals, she latched her arms around his neck in a tight, almost choking, hug. He wrapped his free arm around her waist and did the same, abet more gently.
Strange, why hadn't he noticed her scent before? Or her warmth?
Interaction was different from when he was a figurine, as a thing of wood and paint. Then, he couldn't feel her, he couldn't tell if she was warm, or cold, or quivering. Now she was warm, and she was quivering. The lazy scents of grass and dew still hung in her hair from the night before, and her own wonderfully cinnamon smell was that much more intoxicating.
This wasn't right, he knew it wasn't right. But then, what was right?
He'd never felt like this about anyone. Not even Louise. He didn't know what he felt, or why or how --- it was illogical. Illogical and yet . . . and yet quite human.
So this was what it felt like to be a human. To care with not only his soul, but with his body and his mind as well.
Gently, he moved his head back, and Haru looked up. His magnificent eyes met hers in a moment when time stood still, and slowly did they bring each other closer, and closer still until she could smell his dizzying scent, and he could bring up the courage hidden away to actually be human. To bend to this beautiful and thoughtful young woman who had loved him so much, and press his lips against hers.
Then was he truly, and forevermore, alive.
Haru felt a thousand butterflies in her stomach take flight. His mouth was soft and warm, his lips ever so gentle against hers. He tasted just as sweet as he smelled, and kissed, quite frankly, like a god. To Haru, it felt like a million years of heaven, of so many dreams spinning together to form one sole moment, one sole wish finally realized.
She buried her head into his chest and cried. He was real. Finally, he was real and alive and well. He could breath, and hope, and dream, and live. Finally live and love, and be happy. What he should have had from the beginning.
"If you care about something with all your heart," he whispered into her ear, his enthralling voice tender and compelling, "let it go."
"And if it was meant to be," she replied, those words burned into her very soul like fire on the strongest wood, "it will always come back to you."
He kissed her forehead and cupped her face in his hands, as if to lavish the moment, to imprint it into his memory forever. Never in his existence had he ever felt more whole. Or more at home. "I will always come back to you."
Thus, the Cat Returns! Stay turned for the Epilogue.
And, this is the last time I'll be able to ask this, so bare with me!
Continue or No?