You know how horrible and painful it is on your eyes when the sun shines into them in the morning?
Riku scrunched up her eyes as that exact thing happened to her and turned her head so she slept on her other cheek and away from the bright light, but opened her right eye a little when she felt how warm it was. As her senses began to start-up once more, she realized how warm she felt all over, except for the back of her shoulders where there was nothing covering them, and began to register the hand rested on her lower back next to the sheets that covered everything below that. Underneath her, she could hear a faint beating and feel the smooth skin right at the tips of her fingers.
"Good morning." He said with a smile in his voice and wrapped her arms around the woman who had slept on top of him for the latter part of the night.
"Hey…how come the sheets never manage to get past my waist?" She said with a raised eyebrow as she crawled out from his arms, taking the sheets with her. Remembering Genma was just as bare as she was, she picked up a pair of discarded pants off the floor and tossed it over him. "Come on, there's nothing in the fridge and I need breakfast."
He grunted when his pants landed on him, a light hiss escaping when the cold zipper touched his stomach. Nodding a little, listening to her words and processing them with a half-asleep mind, he climbed out of bed slowly and dressed himself with his eyes barely open. As he did, Riku got herself cleaned up in the bathroom, looking forward to a day to relax…and just forget. Even for a day.
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They finally made it out of the apartment after going back in for wallets and coats, and were walking down the street towards the shops that were beginning to populate as people were waking up. Riku walked to the right of Genma as she scanned down the lines of stores on either side of them, spotting the grocery store a ways down, though the one thing that caught her eye the most was a girl to her right with a woman holding her small hand. The girl looked about eight or nine and had brunette hair tied into two pigtails at the bottom. She turned her head as her curiosity directed her gaze all over the place until her slate-colored eyes fell upon Riku's matching ones. A smile lit up the girl's face, bring one to Riku's, though the woman's eyes told otherwise. With a small wave, reciprocated by the child's, Riku turned back to the front and noticed a confused expression from Genma out of the corner of her eye.
"Who is that girl exactly? I've seen her around before."
"Just a little girl I see and talk to sometimes around town and when I pass by the acade-" Riku was cut off when she felt small fingers wrap around her index and a light tug down. She stopped and glanced down, realizing it was the little girl. With a light chuckle she crouched down to the girl's eye level and held her hand delicately. "Hey, Kyoko. What are you doing away from your mother?" Riku asked with a smile, looking past Kyoko to see the stern looking mother who was showing impatience rather strongly.
"I want to be with you today." Kyoko's young voice rang clearly, even through the noise of the street, and she wrapped her arms tightly around Riku's neck in a hug.
Riku hugged her back, much lighter than she was, and picked her up into her arms. As she stood, Riku could feel slight regret but shook it off quickly and turned to Genma. "I'll be right back."
Genma took in the image of his love with the child in her arms, noticing how perfect the two looked together and how deep he could see into Kyoko's eyes. He watched them walk to the side where the apparent mother was standing with a bag held tightly in her hand. Suddenly, he saw the narrowed glare she was shooting at Riku, then at him for the tiniest moment that sent a shiver through his spine. Did she not like Riku holding her child? Whatever the reason, it didn't seem to bother Riku, if she noticed at all. But what really bothered him was how different she held Kyoko compared to holding Daisuke. This seemed so much more…needing.
Riku braced for the confrontation with the woman as she set Kyoko down on her feet, coaxing the little arms to release her neck. "Good morning, Haruka-sama." She greeted, straightening up before bowing to a complete ninety degrees.
"Do you remember the agreement, Riku?" Haruka looked down at the bowing woman before her and the little girl who clung to the haori.
"…Yes ma'am." Riku didn't straighten, refusing to look at Haruka in the eyes, but instead glanced to the side to see Kyoko's hands gripping her coat.
"Well then, come along Kyoko." Haruka motioned to her daughter with a small wave with the impatient tapping of her foot.
Riku sighed and crouched down in front of Kyoko again, holding her tiny hands in her own. She leaned into the girl's ear, "I'll see you at school, ok?" She said, pulling back with a smile.
Kyoko nodded and went back to Haruka quickly. The two resumed their weekly shopping holding hands and quickly vanished into the wave of people.
Riku stood up and fixed her haori as she walked back to a concerned looking Genma. She put on a small smile and tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong?"
Genma weighed his need to ask her what all that was about, but realizing her smile didn't touch her eyes, he decided against it with a head shake. "Nothing, let's go."