Gekko no Senshi (Moonlight Warrior)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: Back to the present…
Chapter 17
"RIHAAANNN!"
"What?" Rihan sultered.
"You! Are in my bed!"
"Rikuo, stop yelling, ok? My ears are about to burst…" whined the older boy.
"And you're drunk… AGAIN!" Rikuo shouted.
Kubinashi walked in to the room unannounced. "Rihan, leave waka alone, he has school today. C'mon get up!" ordered the neck-less youkai.
"No," Rihan whined, hugging Rikuo close to him, making the latter red in the face and then a vein popped.
"Rihan…" growled Rikuo as he tried to peel his brother from himself.
"What…" he lustered, as he was getting more comfortable in his brotherly embrace.
"You've being coming back home drunk every morning for the past week! How do you think it looks like!" scolded Kubinashi.
"Like I'm having fun?" whined Rihan as he covered his ears releasing poor Rikuo in the process. The latter was about to leave the room to shower when he heard:
"And teasing Yuki-Onna the other day?" Rihan raised an eyebrow at this. "Don't you remember? The day you ended up in her room?"
"WHAT!" Rikuo became red in rancor. "What the fuck is wrong with you Rihan?"
"I don't remember any of it," he said, finally getting more sober.
"Poor Tsurara screamed… if I hadn't come running on time, who knows what would you have done!"
"YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE!" Rikuo became his youkai self and grabbed Rihan by the neck. "You as if lay a hand on her, I'll make sure you disappear…" his voice went down a few octaves.
Rihan released himself from his brother and a slight grin formed in his lips. "What? You in love with her?"
"No! She's my friend and our subordinate! You don't go disgracing her and disgracing this family in the process!"
"Oh I see… you want to take the leadership away from me!" Rihan growled, getting angrier by the second.
"Eh! Of course not! But what do you care! Not like you'll ever assume the position of Head of this clan!" Rihan was taking aback. "Don't fucking give me that face, asshole… you've made it pretty clear you don't want to become the Second."
"But I AM THE SECOND!" Rihan yelled. Everyone in the house came running to the room for it's very rare to hear Rihan yell.
"Yes, but taking the responsibilities as such is a very different thing!" Rikuo said, becoming a bit calmer. They had already caused a scene; he didn't want to make it any worse.
Rihan was so surprised and angry at the same time, he wasn't sure how to feel. He knew Rikuo was right which made him a tad more flustered. Without saying another word, he walks out of the room, ignoring his mother and father's look.
It's being a week… a week!
Tomoe sat in her bedroom as she tried to do her English homework. She barely concentrated. All she could think about was the last time she saw Rihan and it annoyed the hell out of her for expecting, expecting him to visit her again. She felt disappointed and angry. Was he playing with me? Because if he was… I'll serve him his balls for dinner…!
Just then she heard a knock on her door. "Come in." In came the head of Inoue-sama.
"Tomoe-chan, Ken-san and I will have to leave this weekend to attend some family business. We shall be back by Monday night. Do you think you can be alone for a few days?"
Tomoe was surprised by this, "Sure… Yes, I can do it."
"Ok, good. I have prepared enough food for you not to go hungry. Wouldn't want your father angry for not appropriately taking care of you," she chirped. Tomoe sweatdropped.
"Thank you," Tomoe smiled. With that Inoue left.
"You're going to be alone for the weekend! Nice!"
Tomoe's heart skipped a beat as she turned around to see Rihan seating crossed legged on her bed.
"You…" she growled.
"Wow, calm yourself… I'm not here to fight," he said lifting his hands in surrender. "I've sure had enough fighting for one day…"
She saw certain sadness in his eyes and she felt bad for him. She took a deep breath and asked,
"What happened?"
And just like that, he told her everything. About the responsibilities as the 2nd, his family not taking him seriously, he had gone through enormous pain but he didn't go too deep on that which made Tomoe wonder. After she listened carefully, she told him:
"What I see is that you are afraid of disappointing the legacy that your Clan has lead for the past hundreds of years."
Rihan gasped and marveled, for Tomoe couldn't have said it more beautifully. And it was all so true…
"But I wonder, why where you coming back home drunk every night?"
Rihan gulped at this because he didn't want to talk about it.
"I just had to take care of some business and then I had a couple of sake shots," he brushed off as if it wasn't important.
She didn't seem to want to let go of the subject, "But why would you drink after taking care of some petty youkai business? Celebrating perhaps?"
Rihan was annoyed by her persistence. He really wanted to drop the subject. "My business was everything but petty…"
She was taken aback by his sudden anger. His hair was rising in that anti-gravitational fashion. She held her ground. "But why get so shitfaced that you cause a ruckus every time you go back home?"
"My business is my problem," he growled, giving Tomoe a surprised look on her face. He moved closer to her. "We, the Nurarihyon are free and unruly ayakashi, we certainly don't give explanations to the likes of you…"
Her breathing went up in staccato as she tried to control her face from getting red. There was something dangerous about Rihan. She really wanted to know what made him sad but she knew she had pushed it so she backed off. A voice inside of her said: He's not ready yet…
She was startled by it but she understood, maintaining a solemn face.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked too much," she said looking down. Why am I apologizing? He shouldn't be angry with me for tell me all this and not poking around, asking questions!
"You know your face is very easy to read," he said, a bit calmer now.
"Oh?"
"Yes, you where startled by my ill humor, you barely held your grip, decided to keep it cool and then your face changed to a solemn look, for you do not agree on my anger since I told you most of my problems and it's only natural for you to ask questions…"
She gave him a doubtful look. He counteracted with a smug face. They stayed like that for a while before he sighed.
This dumbass can read me like an open book… I don't like it.
"Look, as I said earlier I didn't come here to pick a fight…"
"And you told me all of this, because?" she inquired.
"I needed someone to talk to outside the family and someone who isn't a youkai…"
Tomoe was really rattled by this. He can read me so well yet he can't see that I'm a youkai. Can't he sense my aura or is he just testing me?
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she mumbled. "I just remembered that I have an English assignment to return tomorrow…"
"Lie."
"I'm not lying! I actually have an assignment to return tomorrow!"
"Yes, but that's not the reason why you have that look on you face…"
"Rihan please, I'm trying here. You can't just come here and expect me to stop my life so I can listen to you talk."
He was hurt. Tomoe realized what she said and wished to a million gods she could take it back. He stood up, walked towards the window, turned around and said,
"Goodbye Tomoe-chan."
With that he disappeared.
Tomoe's heart sank so deep there was no way of fishing it back. I really fucked this up… Rihan, I'm so sorry…
…and she wept bitterly.
The next morning Tomoe woke up vowing to herself that she will make things right with Rihan. He was hurting and she made it worse. If he turned to her it was because at least he fancies her as a friend, even though he sometimes gets the best of her. They've also shared tender moments, can't forget that.
"Tomoe-chan, before you go, we just want to make sure you know we will not be here when you come back from school," said Inoue as she handed Tomoe her bento box.
"Yes, Inoue-sama I understand," she smiled.
"Child, please take care of yourself while we're gone and no monkey business," said Tsubasa Ken.
"I'd probably get so much homework I'll be in the library the whole weekend," joked Tomoe. Tsubasa just gave her a stern look. Tomoe relieved a sigh as she walked out.
Once she reached school and walked to her homeroom, she saw a peculiar scene: Yura, Saori and Natsumi on one side, meanwhile Kiyotsugu, Shima and Kana on the other side, arguing. Rikuo stood in the middle trying to mediate between the parts.
"What the hell is all this about?" intervened Tomoe. All six of them rushed to her trying to explain their point. Kiyotsugu even took her hands as he explained himself.
Till this day she doesn't know what they were arguing about. They all spoke at the same time.
"Guys… yes, guys… ok, but… oh to hell with this… SHUT IT!"
Silence. Even Rikuo raised an eyebrow. She walked away, went to her seat and sat down, exasperated. Just then Hanako-sensei walked in, replacing Nakagawa-sensei who was sick.
It was lunchtime when they all decided to stay in the classroom and talk about what happened in the morning. But before that, Yura wanted to talk to Kana separately.
"Yes Yura-chan? What's the matter?"
"I have noticed that you have stopped speaking to Tomoe… I just want us all to get along, I know-"
"Who are you to tell me this?" Yura was astonished by Kana's interruption. "Why are you defending her?"
This caught Tomoe's attention, as she was sitting on Rikuo's desk, with him still on his seat. Their proximity irritated Kana the most.
"Look, it's not what you think…" Yura tried to explain but Kana cut her off again:
"What's there to you of what I think? What I think is none of your business!"
"Hey, I am trying to be a friend here and help! What's up with you and your sudden bitterness?" Yura yelled.
Tomoe had to intervene. "Yura you're not helping. Let her be."
"You get out of this!" Kana yelled at Tomoe. The latter was stunned by the words. She mumbles something unintelligible and walked out of the classroom. Rikuo went after her, followed by Yura, who gave Kana a disappointed look before going after Tomoe. The rest of gang just stared at Kana weirdly as they all walked out too. Kana sighed before a few tears ran down her cheeks.
"Tomoe-chan wait!" yelled Rikuo as Tomoe was running towards the back of the gym where a plum tree grew. It was a favorite hangout place for Tomoe. It reminded her of one she had in her backyard and how when she was done training, Tora and her would sit down and chat over food or beverages Tomoko prepared.
Tomoe sat under the tree and sighed. Rikuo sat beside her. She sighed again.
"I'm sorry," Rikuo started.
"It's not your fault, Rikuo-kun," she stood silent for a minute before she continued, "I think Kana blames me for her not spending as much time with you as she used to."
She looked at him, he looked away blushing; but before he could say anything a winded Yura interrupted him.
"Why do you guys run so fast!" she said as she plummeted herself in front of the two. "Oh wait don't answer, I know." She smiled. Tomoe smiled back.
"Yura-chan I appreciate what you were trying to do, thanks."
"Hey no problem. I owe you my life, it's the least I can do. Oh by the way, I have being training a lot after school and I must say, I've gotten better with your advice," chirped Yura.
"No way! Awesomeness!" Tomoe sang.
Rikuo kept looking at the two and smiled. "Great Yura-chan, now don't go killing yourself; please be careful. We don't want to answer to the Keikain Clan for not taking care of you in our territory. And I certainly don't wanna test Ryuuji's wrath…"
"I'll be fine, Rikuo-kun, you worry too much," Yura laughed as she hit Rikuo playfully in the leg. Tomoe caught this. Oh no, she likes him too… and she doesn't even now it! If things aren't already awkward, it's going to be weirder after this…
"I do not!" he laughed.
"Guys!" all three of them turned their heads towards Kiyotsugu. The rest of the gang was walking behind him minus Kana. Rikuo and Yura sighed at this.
"Whatever you say Kiyotsugu, no…" said Yura.
"But Keikain-san, they just say it's haunted not that there is any youkai…" he explained.
"What do you think 'haunted' means?" Yura gave him a poignant stare. Kiyotsugu became quiet.
"Good, since that's being sorted out," Saori quickly added, "we need to talk about Kana; what's going on with her lately?"
"Bites me, she's being acting so weird," said Shima.
Natsumi added, "Rikuo-kun, you're gonna have to talk to her, you're her best friend."
He sighed and said, "I tried but she won't even take my calls…"
"Well then hit it on her head till she listens to you!" said Tomoe. Everyone looked at her as if she was nuts. "Not physically hit her but just nag till she talks to you…"
"I will try, hope she talks to me," he said. With that the bell rang and they all returned to class.
"Rikuo, I need to talk to you," Tomoe caught up with him as he was waiting for the bus.
"Yes, Tomoe-chan?" he turned around to see her gracefully running towards him. He couldn't help but blush.
"Hmm, I don't know how to start this… ahh, your brother came for a visit last night," Rikuo saw the worry on her face and he became afraid…
"Please don't tell me he did something to you 'cause I'm going to make him pay!" he became red in anger.
"No! No! He didn't do anything; for once… actually, it was I. I did something to him, err say, said something to him that hurt him… what I'm trying to say is that, can I come to your place… I wanna make things right and apologize…" she looked down as she talked. Rikuo could see her embarrassment.
"You don't need permission to come to my place, Tomoe-chan. Besides, you're a youkai yourself so you don't fear the guys at the house," he said.
"Let's keep the youkai part to ourselves. I don't think Rihan is ready to find out about my real nature…"
"Tomoe, don't you think it would hurt him more if you don't tell him the truth?"
Tomoe sighed, "I know just not yet, please?"
"Sure…"
A/N: Uhh, what's gonna happen at the Nura house? Tune up for next chapter, coming soon... :)
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