Hello! So, did you enjoy the previous chap? Haha. Things are unfolding quite nicely now and I'll be a good girl from this chap onward. Hehe.

Please enjoy!

The Rose In Between

by four-eyed 0-0

CHAPTER TEN

Inoue had been distracted the whole time they were having the opening program. After the unloading incident, she had not said a single word, even to her son. Somehow she thought it was hostile of Kurama for not letting her get over the haircut shock before stunning her with a lip lock. To be honest with herself, she would have to say that she actually relished the feel of his lips on hers, how spontaneous the kiss felt, and how carefree he had been. That even with the many people he kissed her.

No. She couldn't believe it.

She was contemplating about that kiss.

The kiss.

Inoue shook her head back to reality and cast a glance at her son who sat beside her, a barricade between them. The moment she did, Kurama turned to her, making her blush. He smiled and winked, making all the blood rush to her head. He turned back to the person speaking and she had to copy him. She was hundred-percent sure that he looked at her sideways. Her chest throbbed painfully.

This feeling was all too familiar. And she remembered how she had felt when he touched her. How sparks flew. How butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

She felt very much like that right now. So the same. So alike.

She took a deep breath and tried to listen to the speaker. Instructions and orientation. She absorbed them and took them all in. No problem about the rules. No problem at all.

"Okay, so, please set up your tents, have your lunch, and be back by one o' clock."

The three of them stood up and Kurama took hold of the bags while she carried the tent. Hiro silently followed them into the clearing intended for quarters. Once they reached the space allotted for their tent, Kurama said, "So, where do we start?"

Inoue had to heave a deep breath before answering, "The tent, I suppose." She started unzipping the tent's case and Kurama made his way to her wordlessly. She looked at him and he smiled, so that she had to blush yet again. This was getting more and more absurd. The two of them worked on it rather silently as Hiro sat on a fallen log, watching. Heaven knew what sort of things going around his young mind now.

Once they were finished, she laid out a picnic blanket and prepared their packed lunch. The three of them ate silently, and right after they went back to the meeting site.

The next thing she knew, they were about to play eating-the-apple-tied-on-the-string thingy. And that Moms and Dads were to play it. Great start. Really.

Kurama deliberately cleared his throat as loudly as he could so that she whipped her neck to his direction. He raised his eyebrows before leaning in and saying, "Are you ready for it, honey?"

"Stop calling me 'honey'," she spat.

"Methinks my honey wants another kiss."

"Kurama!"

"Mum, Dad! The game's about to start!" Hiro called, pushing them toward the game area. The two of them obliged and before they got to their apple, Hiro whispered them good luck.

They headed to the apple swinging slightly between them. Inoue whispered, "Now, you just bury your teeth into the apple and I take the bites. Once my half is done, I'll do what you first did and you eat up the rest."

"Copy, honey."

Inoue rolled her eyes at him. "Quit it, please."

The referee shouted ready. Get set. BANG!, from his gun.

Inoue leaned in and pressed her lips on the apple so that Kurama was able to hold it with his teeth. She started biting and chewing the swallowing. There was too much cheering and she could hear Hiro's voice all too clearly. She avoided looking at his eyes. Otherwise, she might lose concentration and fail. She chewed chunks and within a minute she was done. "Your turn," she said, mouth still full, before swallowing and burying her teeth into her eaten half. Kurama started eating and she looked down once more, still unable to stomach what she could see.

His hair. He had it cut all for her. And his son.

But then she felt the warmth of his breath near her cheeks. She realized how close they were, how the gentle batting of his eyelashes sent very subtle gusts on her face. And he was closing in. Trying to clear all of the uneaten part.

His chin suddenly brushed hers as he tried to bite the bottom of the apple and it sent shivers down her spine. All the restraint, all the gestures that were not at all intended for teasing her, well, just made her go crazy. Her breathing tripled and she did not even notice his raising his fist if not for the shout of her son. "Great, Mum, Dad!"

She looked at Kurama who was smiling at her. They won the silly game. He swung his arm over shoulders and placed a chaste kiss on her temple, before steering the two of them toward Hiro whose face shone with amazement. He raised his hand and did the high-five with Kurama and then wrapped his arms about her waist, so that the fox let go of her.

Her son was so happy and she could not help but grin as she watched him.

"You two are so great!" he kept saying. Inoue subconsciously smiled at Kurama who smiled back.

"Uh, excuse me, Takizato-san?"

The three of them turned to a teacher who gave a curt nod. "Can I speak with you for a minute?"

"Of course."

"Please come with me."

Inoue ruffled her son's hair before giving the teacher a nod. She led them to a tree three yards away and cleared her throat. "I just want to ask who the man your child calls his Dad is," she said, fumbling for some papers in a folder as she did. "Shuichi Minamino is his name, right?"

"Yes. And he is Hiro's close friend. He considers him his father, if that says all."

The teacher nodded and looked at her. "He isn't your boyfriend?"

Inoue blushed and shook her head violently. "No—not at all." She waved her hands for emphasis.

"Really? I've seen the kiss earlier this morning." The teacher kept a straight face.

She was appalled. Why should a teacher dig into this? "Okay. So let's just say that he isn't exactly my boyfriend… much like a man who likes me and is liked by my son, whom, apparently, I don't."

"So, a wooer?"

"Yes. Much like that. And I just agreed of having him here because my son asked me to. I can't let my son go upset, can I?"

"No." The teacher shrugged. "At least that's what I know. I'm a mother myself."

"Well, thank you."

The teacher smiled. "I'm sorry for being nosy. It's just some unusual circumstance in events like this and I wished to know about it."

"No harm done." Inoue smiled and right there they parted.

Later that night, as they were preparing dinner by firewood, Kurama sat beside her on the fallen log. Hiro was in the tent, having a nap. They sat there, listening to the crickets and the cracking of the fire.

Kurama was the first to speak.

"Umm, Inoue…" he started, and she just listened, still looking at the pot. "No, I mean, Anikka…"

She turned to him and narrowed her eyes. "Kurama, please, just stop it. It's not funny."

He sighed, so that his breath floated through the cold evening air. "I'm not joking. Nor am I trying to be funny."

"Look, I just agreed to be on this camp because of my son, all right? And nothing else."

"Is that so?" He twiddled with his fingers. "Well, just so you know, I was thinking if we could talk about things. Clarify things."

"What is so blurry that it needs to be clarified?"

"Akihiro. You. Me. Us."

Inoue shook her head, tired. "You know the truth, Kurama. You already know that he is your son—"

"I do. But I want to know what happened to us. Why you ran away. How you coped up. How you raised him—"

"No. I don't want to talk about it." She felt the memories dawning in her periphery. The night of shame. The day Hiro was born. "Please don't let me speak."

Kurama touched her shoulder. "Look, I want to understand everything. I want to understand everything that kept you and me apart. I beg you," he said, taking her hand in his, "please don't let me be miserable."

"I am miserable."

"Then you should tell me everything. Release them. Tell me." He looked at her eyes and kissed her hand, holding it with both of his.

Inoue missed this way of being held. A single part being held so securely felt much too overwhelming. She felt calm. And felt crying at the same time. And sure enough, tears formed in her orbs and they fell instantly.

Even with a blurred vision, she was able to see how he slowly closed in the distance between them, as though giving her time to pull away. But she did not. She just looked into those eyes, and, as they closed, she shut hers too, tight. His lips melded with hers and she responded to him with every intention of doing so. Her hand found his shoulder, his neck, his nape, and his short hair.

His short hair.

Her eyes snapped open and she pulled away, wide-eyed as she gazed at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend to—I'm sorry." She scampered away and busied herself with cooking dinner. She shook her head and tried to pull the thoughts off her brain. Kurama went inside the tent and she managed to say, "I'll call you later when it's ready," before he could close the opening.

Inoue gulped and slapped her face gently. His short hair.

She could not believe that he had cut his hair.

All for her.

All for making her feel that he listened to her. And to Hiro.

Haha. Another chapter done. Wanna hear from you.

KuramaMustangElric: I know you would all have that shock about his hair. And surely, along it will come more courage. Haha. :D

Kaori Minamino: Haha. I love to think of Kurama having his hair cut and well, about Hiro? You just wait. More to come. And BTW, I'd like to tell you that in your review you've mentioned something I had already thought of and had written in the next chapters. Haha. Great. Thanks for reviewing! :)

So please, give me a review, won't you? :D

Bye!

~four-eyed 0-0