Chapter Nine: To be with you…Always
Stepping off the train he adjusted his bag on his shoulder. People bustled around him as he made his way to the 'surface'. Yawning he climbed a long flight of stairs – snowflakes hit him in the face – as bright, winter light greeted him.
His cell phone vibrated against his thigh making him thank the gods more and more that he had returned to civilization. Glancing at the screen a happy animated envelope flashed 'Naoe' at him. He clicked the message. "Nagahide… I want you to meet me at the Flying Fighter Fish for lunch as soon as you get in. I'll be waiting for you."
Puzzled he slipped his cell phone back in his pocket. He and Naoe were not close enough to share lunch together just one on one. In fact they had never done so before. Strange that he had made such a request. But it was at that moment that his stomach decided to interrupt his thoughts with a load growl. Regardless of Naoe's motives he was hungry and was not going to pass up an opportunity to get a free meal.
The Flying Fighter Fish was about four blocks away from the train station. Settled into the bustling downtown district, in between an art gallery and bookstore, it was a lunchtime favorite of many office workers.
Today was no exception as Nagahide entered the busy restaurant. A young woman dressed in a full length red kimono bowed at him. "Welcome," she said in a rather breathy tone. "One?"
Nodding as he removed his gloves, he said, "Yes. Thank you. The bar, please?"
"Right this way." She gestured for him to follow as she lead him into the dinning room of the restaurant.
It was a quaint establishment with fifty tables and a large, wooden, U-shaped bar. Decorated in bright earth tones with small tables and booths lining the walls. Several large aquariums were scattered throughout the restaurant with large, over fed fish just perfect for ones next meal. The bar was large and made to occupy twenty or so guests. Three sushi chefs stood behind it chopping, rolling and slicing fish, rice and nori.
Smiling the hostess motioned to a stool at the corner of the bar close to a flapping beaded doorway leading to the kitchens. Depositing his stuff on the floor he sat with a content sigh. He really was starving. Glancing about the restaurant he tried to feel Naoe's presence, but the man had not arrived yet. Sighing he watched one of the chef's hack the head off a grouper; it's tail still flapping wildly.
A petite waitress appeared from the beaded door and spoke with one of the chefs – an older, slightly balding man with a graybeard and belly.
"Amiee said she can't come out to help right now."
"What?" he croaked, "We're swamped out here. We need her help."
The little woman shrugged. "She said something has come up and she can't come out."
Grunting he stopped shaping a ball of rice and walked into the beads.
Shrugging once more the girl turned to him. "What may I get you to drink, sir?"
"I'll just have a…" At that very moment a power he had not felt in decades suddenly shot up his spine and through his chest making his heart beat erratically. Wide eyed and panting, the hairs on the back of his neck on end, he gazed at the woman before him.
She blinked at him. "Sir?"
And just as quickly as it arrived the aura was gone. He knew that aura; knew it like his own heart. Hanairo…
"Um…" the girl before him muttered.
Before he could answer the chef returned from the back lifting the beaded curtain high over his head. Nagahide saw through the curtain, saw just over the chef's shoulder, a slender woman with raven dark hair and ice blue eyes staring right back at… him.
And before he knew what the hell he was doing, he was on his feet - his insides in knots, his heart sounding like a bass drum in his chest – leaping over the bar and through the door. The girl shrieked; the chef's yelled and restaurant patrons gasped.
Like a mad man he dashed into the noisy kitchen startling the chef's that were back there. "Hanairo!" he shouted, but was only greeted with the clang of pots and pans and the loud slam of a heavy back entrance door.
Darting around the "line" and a few dish dollies he reached the back door and stepped outside. Empty. But he knew she had just been there. He could smell her, feel her presence all around the tiny alleyway. She was alive and she was running from him. His chest tightened at that thought.
Closing his eyes, trying to still his mind and body, he tried to focus on her.
He had only briefly glimpsed that woman, but he knew with every ounce of his being that that was Hanairo. She must have been trying to hide her aura from him, but lost focus when that chef went to talk to her. Obviously she regained that focus very quickly; he could not longer sense her presence. She was gone like a puff of smoke.
"Bitch," he muttered. "Why the devil are you running from me?"
Taking a deep breath he clasped his hands together – index fingers up – and closed his eyes. She can't escape that easily. Let's see if she can sense me with this.
Quietly he started to chant. Kanji appeared on the snowy, dirty ground and swirled about his feet shooting a soft, blue-green light up into the air and completely encompassing his body.
Opening his eyes, the light disappearing, he smirked. This is my most powerful seal. No one has been able to sense my presence. Let's test my skills upon you, my darling spirit tracker.
Pushing his glasses up on his nose, he ran from the alleyway to the bustling streets. Running his gaze through the crowd he tried to locate her. A few antagonizing moments ticked by before he noticed a woman standing twenty some feet away, near a light post, dressed in full sushi chef garb and a charcoal pea-coat. Her gaze darting back and forth from the Flying Fighter Fish to her position.
Smiling at her confusion, and his own genius at the seal he was immersed in, he headed towards her. Heart thudding, body trembling, he got within a few feet of her before their gazes locked.
Time stood still. The people walking around them seemed to disappear as he stared at her. Breathless he whispered her name, "Hanairo…"
Pressing herself against the lamppost she smirked at him. "Nagahide," she whispered; her eyes were distant staring at a spot over his shoulder.
He dared not turn and look for fear that she would disappear like a dream.
"Your seal is clever. I can't read you."
Smiling in slight triumph he reached out for her.
She spun away from him and took off running. "Let's see if you can catch me!" she yelled back at him running at breakneck speed through the crowd of people.
Cursing he took off after her. He chased her to a small apartment complex. He watched as she ran to the second story and, leaning over the balcony, stuck her tongue out at him. Growling in rage he vaulted up the steps after her. He ran at her almost about to catch her when the door was slammed in his face.
"Hanairo!" he yelled pounding on the wooden surface. "Open up!"
"Why don't you use the knob, dumbass?" was yelled from the other side.
Growling in frustration, nearly ripping the door off its hinges, he forced himself inside. She stood there waiting for him, but this time not in a silk wedding gown, but in a pair of black pants and a red happi with a blooming lotus flower.
She smiled and held out her arms. "Nagahide…"
Tears stinging his eyes he ran to her, his voice lost in his throat. Pulling her into his arms he crushed her against his body planting kisses on her head, her face, her lips. He tightened his hold on her nearly crushing her in his embrace, but he did not care nor did she complain.
"Oh how I've missed you," she murmured her voice thick with emotion and tears.
"Hanairo…" he breathed pushing her to the floor, articles of clothing becoming untied, unlaced and unbuttoned in the process.
"Come to me, my love," she whispered pulling him against her body.
He was trembling as he lay between her tights. Pushing open her shirt he touched bare flesh and kissed it. She sighed and pulled his lips to hers. Cupping her face he gazed into the ice blue eyes beneath him so bright and full of emotion.
Smiling she removed his glasses and, reaching upward, set them lovingly on the coffee table. Gently she unbound his hair and watch the silken treads fall around his shoulders like honey all the while never breaking their gaze.
He kissed her again; crushing their bodies together he buried his face in her neck breathing in a fishy lemony scent. "Hanairo… Hanairo…" he murmured against the pale column of flesh. He kissed it then bit, sucking and marking her near her hairline.
She gasped, arching upward, treading her fingers in his hair.
"Where have you been?" he asked pulling his face from her neck to stare into her eyes. "Why did you leave? I thought…"
"Shhh…" she cooed pulling his sweater up and over his head. "I know what you thought and I'm sorry." Tears glittered on her lashes like diamonds. Touching the soft material of his dress shirt, she ran her fingers along the buttons sending jolts of pleasure through his body.
Suddenly she grabbed fistfuls of the warm cotton material and ripped; buttons went flying. Instead of gasping in surprise, he laughed. "Impatient much? This was a good shirt too," he grumbled.
With a soft smile she touched his chest, pale fingers fanning out across the strong muscles. The skin was warm and tanned; he smelled like laundry soap, winter and musk.
"I never wanted to be away from you, but I…" she paused as he removed the happi from underneath her along with her bra.
Gasping as the cool air hit her sensitive flesh she said, "I had to hide. I needed to be safe and that was away from everyone… even you."
He frowned deeply down at her, but nodded. They both knew that that would not be the end of that conversation, but for right now that did not matter. All that mattered was skin and kisses and love.
Cupping the two globes of pale flesh in his hands and squeezed gently emitting a moan from the lithe woman beneath him. Smiling, his thumbs turning her nipples into hard peeks, he asked. "Have you had other lovers, Hanairo?"
She locked her gaze with his and shook her head. "No. Only you. It's only ever been you."
He could not contain the primal grown of possessiveness that escaped from his throat. Leaning down he wrapped her completely in his arms and whispered against her ear, "My sweet lady, never leave me again. I simply could not bare it. My life is nothing without you in my arms."
She laughed wholeheartedly. "You're so corny!"
Shooting upward he gazed into her face. "Hey! That's not funny! I'm being serious!"
Giggling she twirled the silken hairs at his shoulders between her fingers. "I know but… you're still corny."
A wicked smile spread across his lips. "Oh yeah?" He pinched her nipple making her gasp in pleasure.
"Not fair," she pouted much to his triumphant smile. Sighing she held up her pinky and gazed deeply into his gray eyes. "I promise. I'll never leave you again, my love."
Grabbing her pinkie with his own he kissed her.
Authors Note:Huzzah! Finally one more done and outta the way. I promise this will be the extent of these 2 taking up precious Takaya x Naoe time. can't wait for chpt 10 angsty happiness
I hope you all enjoyed these 2 chpts about Nagahide and Hanairo's relationship. I just wanted Nagahide to be, basically, hopelessly devoted to her. How he preserves her is very evident in the last chapter and a bit in this one, so keep that in mind, my dear readers.
I saw this chapter clearly in my head. Nagahide going into the restaurant and jumping over a wooden bar and racing into the back then standing in that alley and chasing after her. It was so perfect… but my poor writing did not do it justice, I think. Ah… whatever.
OH! I did not up the rating cuz I still feel that this is T material. There was just some groping involved in this chapter. In later chapters, however, I will up the rating to M cuz I really wanna write that scene that everyone loves to read! Haha! But I'll let everyone know when I'm gonna do that.
Anyway… read on, dearest reader, read on. Chapter 10 is a douzie.
Next Chapter: Dinner Date
"Stop fidgeting! You look fine."