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Aditi Bala - I am flattered that my stories mean so much to you but I can't make empty promises. I am quite sure that I won't be writing City Hunter fanfiction anymore. It would be immoral to make you believe I will. Sorry. But thank you for your feedback. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own City Hunter or its characters.
SINCE I SAW HER STANDING THERE
Chapter: 12
Vicki and Diana tugged at Mayumi's sleeve. Kiriko and Hitomi stared with grinning faces. Aimi put out her cigarette, her eyes still fixed on the same person. Oblivious to all the looks, Saki stacked her books in piles on the upper story. She had a faraway smile on her face, and her gaze dissolved into the distance. Hitomi handed her a worn-out paperback,
"The Hunchback of Notre-Dame"
It was Rudyard Kipling's Kim actually. Saki didn't bother to check and put the book on her French-to-English pile, not even looking at it. Kiriko grabbed Vicki and Diana's hands, shaking with noiseless laughter. Aimi tried to help,
"Saki?"
"Hm?"
"That's not The Hunchback of Notre-Dame"
"Okay"
She was still lost. Aimi looked back at her friends and shrugged her shoulders. Mayumi asked,
"Was last night really that good?"
"I'm thinking about today morning. He has such a skilled tongue"
In her haze, Saki mentioned to her lecherous friends that she had served as breakfast for her husband that morning. She failed to mention that he had hoisted her up on their tea table and dipped his mouth in, not letting go till it was time for work. By the time Saki realized what she had let slip, her friends were laughing and shamelessly giggling. Furious at herself, Saki tried to scold them and to not blush.
"Shut up. Stop it! Stop laughing, all of you!"
Kiriko offered, wiping her tears of laughter,
"We'll clam it if you share the details with us"
"Never!", Saki frowned.
Aimi chimed in,
"If you don't tell us, I'll tell Tadashi and then he'll tease Onoda-san and then he'll think that you tell your friends about your sex life"
"I don't! Aimi!"
Mayumi winked at her,
"Choice is yours"
A minute was all it took for Saki to weigh the odds. She apologized to Onoda-san mentally and opened her mouth.
"We…"
Diana smirked,
"We?"
Vicki shushed her,
"Let her talk"
Saki bit her lip and went on,
"Onoda-san and I… made love last night"
Hitomi rolled her eyes,
"Yes, we can see that. How'd it start? How'd the conversation go?"
"It started when his fever reached 150°. I had to make him sweat"
Aimi chuckled,
"So you did what a good wife should do?"
Saki glared at her but went on,
"He was reluctant so I had to seduce him"
"Ohhhh!", the girls echoed.
Saki tried not to smile,
"It was exciting, yes"
Vicki looked rapt,
"Did he beg you not to do it?"
"Yes"
They gasped in wonder. Saki couldn't stop a little laugh from escaping. Kiriko whispered,
"You slut"
Mayumi asked,
"Was it good?"
Grinning and nodding, Saki allowed a rare side of her nature to be in the spotlight,
"Oh yeah"
Aimi leaned back against the wall and asked,
"What was your favorite part?"
"The culmination"
"Geez", Vicki said with disgust, "The culmination?"
Saki mumbled,
"His face"
"What?"
"His face, okay?", Saki groaned, "He looked so… so beautiful when he came. It was like watching an angel fall and realize the depth of his sin!"
"Saki…"
"It was the most erotic thing I've ever seen!"
"Sa…"
"I swear I'll let him do me however he wants everyday if I get to see that look on his face!"
Aimi coughed,
"Behind you"
Saki looked up from the floor at her friends, who had huddled together and were standing upright against the wall. Aimi rose slowly and bowed to the one who stood behind Saki.
"Good afternoon, Onisama"
Saki turned around quick enough to swoon. Her husband stood looking down at her and returned Aimi's greeting.
"Good afternoon"
"Good afternoon, Onoda-san", Kiriko dared.
He gave her the minutest nod, without taking his eyes off of Saki. She was ready to disappear into a rabbit hole.
"I came early because we had to go furniture shopping"
"I can see his chest muscles straining against the shirt", Diana whispered to Hitomi.
Saki and Aimi exchanged a guilty look while Onoda-san pretended not to have heard that. Aimi saved the day.
"We were just leaving", she turned to her friends, "Weren't we?"
Vicki sighed while Mayumi nodded with a sad expression. Hitomi hugged Saki and the others followed.
"Bye, Saki"
"Bye, girl"
"Bye, Saki"
Aimi gave her a kiss on the cheek,
"Bye"
Saki tried to sneak out under the pretext of seeing them to the door but she was pulled back by her forearm. She wouldn't meet his eyes, so Onoda-san leaned towards her.
"What I heard was true, I assume"
She blushed and tried not to break into a smile. He turned her face towards him, while she smiled and closed her eyes. He placed feather-soft kisses on her eyes and on the corners of her mouth. Saki's smile grew ever deeper in anticipation of what would follow.
"Let's go"
She stared at him blank. The jerk.
"We have to buy furniture. Chop-chop"
She grunted before stomping away,
"Sadist"
Tsuyoshi grinned to himself and waited.
"How about that one?"
"Too small"
"It's a double bed"
"Still tiny"
Saki turned to squint through her eyes at Mr. Onoda. So far in their furniture shopping, he had been absolutely critical and not a bit helpful. They had settled on a decorative bookshelf but the bed still seemed a dream.
"This one looks good", he said.
They were standing by a gigantic bed. Saki made an effort to be calm,
"It won't even fit in our room"
"It seems cozy"
Saki muttered,
"It's as if you're trying to put some distance between us on purpose"
When she looked up at her companion again, he was found staring at her. He had super-hearing apparently.
"We can buy a hammock and you can sleep on top of me every night for as long as I live. I won't complain. But this is about comfort. You roll and talk in your sleep. I am capable of sleeping on a single mattress but you need space"
"What is this really about?"
Onoda-san looked away. He paused a moment before saying,
"What if I accidentally touch you in your sleep? You'll be startled"
Saki almost laughed aloud. Onoda-san kept his eyes on the bed. His wife said,
"After last night, do you really think I'd mind being 'accidentally' touched by you?"
"I suppose not"
Saki held his hand,
"Let's go back to the double beds"
They walked side by side. Saki leaned upon him a little,
"The hammock doesn't sound too bad, you know"
"If you want to wake up with shoulder cramps every morning"
She let go off his hand,
"I liked you better a minute ago. You're the craziest man I have ever met"
"It could have been worse. You could have married me. Oh wait", he smiled, "You did"
Having decided on a solid and strong double bed, Onoda and Saki were back at home signing for its delivery. The bookshelf had to be moved upstairs. The deliverymen helped move up Saki's old bookshelves too. When they were gone, Saki and Tsuyoshi arranged her books in the shelves. Onoda-san stood before a rustic, odd bookshelf.
"Did your grandfather make this?", he asked.
"No. Hideyuki-san did", she didn't mind telling, "We made it together actually"
Onoda-san nodded. Saki noticed that minute furrowing of his brow though. He tried to seem nonchalant.
"I could help you make one too if you wanted"
She smiled, looking at the book in her hand,
"You don't have to compete with him"
"I am not competing. I…"
He shrugged and strolled towards the towering Buddha statue. Saki watched him and tried to steer the conversation.
"It feels odd keeping my books in the temple. My grandmother would have thought it sacrilegious"
"I am sure your God won't mind"
Saki laughed,
"Oh he's my God, is he? And your God is Jesus, I suppose"
"Jesus is God's son"
"Are we going to play My God Can Beat Your God?"
"My God, actually my Goddess, won't agree to beat your God. She is a Buddhist"
She shook her head at him,
"Have you no qualms about referring to the person you have sex with as your Goddess?"
He raised an eyebrow, an action which Saki had always found to be sexy.
"I consider it a form of worship"
She smiled at him dismissively, glad that he was not thinking about her ex anymore. He came to her side and examined the books at her feet.
"Is this 'Rebecca' a horror?"
"It's a Gothic romance. And you should say 'horror story' or 'horror novel'. Not just 'horror'"
"Free English tuitions – it's one of the reasons I wanted to marry you. Let me see that"
He was reading the title page of Rebecca. Saki had written her name and the date of purchase on it. She took the book from him and found his eyes looking into hers with intent.
"I've always thought that lucky would be the man who received love letters in that hand"
Saki blushed, more at a memory than at his words,
"I wrote a love letter once. To Hideyuki-san"
She gave a little laugh,
"He lost it somehow"
How far had she come, from being haunted by his absence to be able to smile at the memories he left behind. And it would never have been possible if it weren't for Onoda-san's steadfast love and patience. When she looked at him again, he looked like a young boy. He was looking at his hands, then at the room.
"I won't"
She talked to him in the gentle tone she used with her delinquent students,
"Do you want me to write you a love letter?"
"Yes", he looked at her face and added in a small voice, "Yes, please"
Saki turned her back to him, put a hand on her mouth and laughed mutely. She was not surprised when Onoda-san turned her around to face him. He didn't take well to being mocked.
"How do you say 'Let us drop everything and have sex' in English?"
She was puzzled at this weird question,
"Let's drop everything and have sex?"
"Okay"
"Tsuyoshi!"
He had thrown her upon his shoulder and sprinted downstairs to their bedroom.
Onoda-san was pleased. He was walking out of the Presidential meeting room. Tadashi was living up to his new title much better than he had anticipated. He was still his idiot little brother, but he had truly grown.
"Daydreaming about your wife again?"
"Shut up", Onoda-san put a glassful of water to his mouth.
Tadashi said,
"Hikoro was asking when you're coming home"
"I told you what to tell the children"
"Come on", Tadashi sighed, "The house seems empty without you"
"Right"
"I am serious. And Mom is really sorry"
"You're talking to her again?"
"No. She told Hina"
"She is your mother, Tadashi. You can't turn your back on her"
"You did"
Many a words came to his lips, but Tsuyoshi didn't utter either. He would never poison Tadashi's mind against his own mother. In a rare gesture, Onoda-san placed a hand on his stepbrother's shoulder.
"We left because she was right. Miss Saki doesn't belong there. And where she doesn't belong, I don't either. Take care. I'll see you on Monday"
He turned to go but halted. He had been meaning to ask that question to Tadashi.
"Say", they were face-to-face again, "How should one talk to babies?"
"What?"
"Babies. Toddlers"
Tadashi grinned,
"You embarrassed yourself before a baby, didn't you?"
Mr. and Mrs. Saeba's little son had waddled over to him last Sunday. Tsuyoshi was too awkward to be swept by a wave of love when the boy hugged his knees and looked up with a toothless grin. He had said "Uh, yes. Pleasure to meet you" to a baby. The judgmental looks from Mr. Saeba and Miss Saki, and that nervous laugh of Mrs. Saeba – those would haunt him forever.
"What are you supposed to say?"
Tadashi shrugged,
"Just tell him some of your business stories. He'll warm right up to you"
He ducked in time from receiving a jab to his head and waved at his brother before rushing to his office. Onoda-san smiled after making sure no one was looking. He was greeted by Asano-kun before going to the elevator.
"Onoda-sama?"
He stopped. She handed him an envelope. He read the front. It was addressed to him.
"This was sent here?"
"Someone left it by the downstairs reception a while ago"
"Thank you"
"Good evening. Thank you for the hard work"
Onoda-san sat in the driver's seat of his Bentley, frowning at and tearing the top of the envelope. It contained a folded stationery paper. When he saw the first word, his frown was turned upside down. That long, curvy handwriting belonged to no one else.
"Dearest Tsuyoshi,
If you only knew how my heart flutters on addressing you so! For you have truly become dearest to me. Dearest, I am grateful to find love twice in the same lifetime, and quite glad that the last of it I found in you. Though there is a tumult of rapturous emotions in my heart on being able to write to you, I suppose I must adhere to a primary rule of the epistolary and inform you of the happenings in my world.
Well, darling, I woke up today at the crack of dawn when the birds had just begun their morning music. I would have loved to throw the windows open and breathe in the salty, fresh air of the sea. But as it were, there was albeit a heavy head of a man upon my chest. I would have moved and gladly disrupted his sleep but the rarity of the involuntary action captured my affection. So, as you of all people know full well, I kissed that sleepy head and fell victim to an ambush which led to passionate, rhythmic and rather naughty (on your part!) love-making. And crimson are my cheeks as I say – what a start to the day.
Once I was at work, my dear, all thoughts of you deserted me. You know well how much teaching means to me. And yet, when the time came for me to go home, I was seized with a burning desire to run into your arms. Alas, you were not here when I arrived. However, you had scribbled a note for me which I copy verbatim here: 'Might be working late tobay. Be back by 7:00 pm'
Woe be me to expect a half-hearted 'Love you' in there. But fear not my wrath or want. There are numerous things I want every day. I want peace, laughter, sunshine, books, fresh air, water, warmth, sleep. But I still my heart and bide my time saying,
"Come nightfall, he shall arrive"
And then I will want nothing more.
Your wearing-that-red-lingerie-Vicki-sent wife,
Saki."
A/N: This was the last chapter to the story and for the OC pairing. I am not sure if I will be back to writing fanfiction any soon. Thank you for all the love though. :)