Pomegranate Chapter 7:
PHLEGETHON
by Void
---------
I feel the fires of purgatory consuming all my sins, and the feeling is bliss.
--------
"...And then we just pushed it in... Tohma turned so red... and then Suzuke suggested we steal my father's cop car..."
Enishi smiled when she laughed, watching the clouds in the deep blue sky, watching the joy in her deep blue eyes, feeling her smile ripple through him like sunlight...
"Mou... Nichi... you haven't been listening..."
"I've listened." His lazy reply, reaching up to push a stand of hair away from her face where the late spring breeze had pushed it. Enamored of her, trapped in her gaze. "Kaoru, go to prom with me."
She stared at him a moment. Enishi suddenly realized that he had spoken out loud.
"...Ok."
He sat up, trembling, watching her somewhat-shocked expression. "Y-you will? Really?"
Her expression softened into that endless kindness he loved. "I will. Really."
She laughed again as he drew her close, a quick, clumsy kiss on her gorgeous lips. "Thank you," murmured at her chin. Hearing her precious chuckle in reply.
"Silly Nichi. Of course I will. We're boyfriend and girlfriend, aren't we?" Fingers tousling his silky black hair.
And then he had to tickle her to retaliate, and of course she tickled back. Rolling around on their picnic blanket on this perfect spring day, two youngsters in love... Their laughter mingled with the birdsong throughout the park.
~*~*~*~
He was late to get back home. Kaoru's father had invited him in for dinner... He forgot to call...
But Tomoe met his eyes when he walked through the door, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as though she knew everything.
For just a moment, he wanted to hate her--of course she would be happy; she so pleased he was with Kaoru, so that he didn't need her so much, so that she could spend more time with him.
Enishi pushed the emotion away as futile. Tomoe was happy; he was happy; they were both growing up. Moving on...
"I'm going to spend tonight with Akira, Enishi." The the creases of contentment around her eyes never wavered.
So she had been waiting for him? Guilt pulsed through him, briefly. He had been keeping her from the man she loved. He brushed past her on his way to the kitchen to grab a beer. "I hope he's planning on making an honest woman out of you someday."
"Enishi..." He turned slowly, afraid of the hesitation in her voice. He had offended her. He should have known better than to say something remotely crude. Tomoe was so sensitive about things like that... But no... Look at her, still smiling, but... tears..? in her eyes... and how had he not noticed the ring, the golden band gleaming on her extended left hand?
"Kiyosato-san proposed a week ago. I wasn't sure when to tell you."
"Tomoe!" Drink forgotten, she was in his arms and he was hugging her close, laughing, spinning them both around. She made no sound but he could imagine the small, silent smile she would have, beaming over his shoulder. "Tomoe!" He couldn't believe how happy he was, pangs of loss and sadness but the unexpected joy, knowing Tomoe's joy, having found it himself in warm eyes and bright smile. "Congratulations."
"Thank you." She pulled away. "I think... he can make me happy, and he says he'll be happy with me..."
"Of course he will."
He didn't notice he was crying until her cool hands wiped the tears from his cheeks, pulled him close to her and he clung on, different this time, all laughter gone.
"Enishi... I'll miss you, too."
-------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
Author's Notes:
Yes, I've decided that E/K is really, really cute.
Uhm... Expect a smattering of Tomoe/Akira angst... maybe not even angst... non-fluffiness... before the dramatic conclusion.
Don't you love the way I skipped, like, weeks and weeks of relationship development that was probably really important??? Maybe I'll play catch-up with the next chapter....
Til next time... Good Night. And happy (belated) V-Day.